Kamen Rider Record: The Will and Grand Order
by BlazeCore
Summary: 2016… The year of when the world's destruction to an unknown force became known. To combat this, Chaldea was established in a secure location with a plan to stop this predicted future by correcting changes to the world's past. But this plan has brought an indirect involvement of the heroes of the present age along with the creation of Kamen Rider Record, the Will of History. R & R!
1. Prologue

**Kamen Rider Record**

 **The Will and Grand Order**

* * *

 **Prologue: December 2016, when everything ended**

 _Date: December ?, 2016_

A remote city was consumed in fire and smoke due to a large number of monsters attacking the buildings and the citizens. The scale of the attack was so large that local law enforcement and even the army were overwhelmed and remaining members were barely holding out. But the danger was pushed back by a group of armored warriors riding their custom motorcycles into battle. A kick and punch sent several of the monsters flying into the air by two warriors who wore masks similar to the heads of insects, specifically grasshoppers. Following their lead, two more warriors, this time one who had a tire attached to his body and one who had orange metal armor and a samurai helmet, jumped into the sky and dived into a crowd of monster akin to a missile strike. The two smashed through their respective groups, causing them to overload with energy before exploding into balls of fire.

In another section, two warriors were clashing with several monsters who had heads that looked similar to roasted chicken and others wore black hoodies with faceless masks. But their numbers were great, so both had to deal with them quickly otherwise they will be overwhelmed. One warrior had wild pink hair, goggles over his orange eyes, oddly a game pad chestplate with a health meter, a neon green belt device on his waist, and his suit was overall neon pink. The other warrior wore a mask akin to a firefly, an armored suit with an eye on his chest, a coffin with an eye-like opening and a lever on his waist, and he wore a parka with an orange trim. The pink warrior wielded a hammer with a green flat head with two buttons on its side which were an "A" and "B". The orange warrior used a double bladed sword to slash and cut through the smaller monsters.

"What is with these numbers?!" shouted the pink warrior before he ducked under the swing of a monster and smashed his hammer into it. Then he tapped the button on his weapon to increase its impact.

"Yeah, these are way too many kaijin here, Ex-Aid!" shouted the orange warrior as he slashed his side of monsters in two swings. His helmet glowed orange and he flew away from the group and landed near his friend. The warrior swung his sword once more and drove some heat off the game-based warrior. "But we have to cut them all down to protect everyone!"

Then something from the ground broke through and erected near the battle. "W-What is that?!" shouted Ex-Aid as he pointed at the tower which twisted itself and opened to reveal large red eyes with black cross-star pupil, and they all stared at the group or warriors who were resisting.

"A tower covered in eyes?" wondered the ghost warrior as he stared at it with worry in his voice. Then he noticed there was someone standing near the black tower of eyes. "Huh? Who is that?"

"3rd Pillar Forneus, reduce this civilization to nothing." The mysterious individual with a distorted voice ordered as he raised his hand forward as a signal to instruct the tower into action.

The tower's eyes flashed with a white light along with a screech similar to an alarm suddenly the ground below it was incinerated to ashes and flames. All the warriors and the monsters were blasted into the air, with most of the monsters annihilated from the sudden attack. After the smoke cloud from the explosions cleared, the warriors laid on the ground groaning in pain from the attack.

* * *

 _Year: ? ?, 2015_

In a secluded area where a large globe contained in five metal axis spun, the room was observed by a group of researchers who typed continuously into the control consoles. The observation deck crew were nervous as one announced something wrong.

"The Shiva Lens has detected an abnormality!" announced a female worker followed by others who also located the irregularity and recorded it.

"Coordinates confirmed!"

"Abnormal values rising!"

"Laplace is getting a read on the situation."

"Hurry!"

Standing behind the group members who worked on the computers was a young woman who may be around 18 years old in a dress covered by a black and orange jacket with orang cuffs and gold symbols adorning it. She also wore a red ribbon with a ruby gem wrapped into a bow. Her features included long, white hair with a braid, a pale complexion, and her eyes were an amber orange.

She was biting the nail of her right thumb in nervousness before she was shocked by something she saw. "The light…" the young woman muttered as she saw the globe's light faded a bit.

"This isn't good… Chaldea is created from a reproduction of the Earth's soul, if the light known as civilization is extinguished…" muttered a man in a green coat with a matching green top hat on his head.

"Gather all identified as Master potentials immediately! We will move the Rayshift from experimentation to actual use! Unless we regain the light of Chaldeas, humanity has no future." The girl announced with an authoritative tone as she turned to stare at the globe with concern.

* * *

 _Date: December ?, 2016_

Back in the devastated city, the pink warrior and the orange warrior awoke from their unconscious states before they slowly stood up with their allies. The city was reduce to a desolate civilization with buildings either burning or broken to pieces along with the streets being cracked and filled with destroyed cars.

"That… thing isn't with the kaijin?" wondered Ex-Aid as he stood up and held his arm in pain. The health meter on his chest lowered to half of its gauge.

"No… I think the kaijin were just sacrifices, Ex-Aid." Ghost said as he stood up despite his injuries.

"AAAAAARRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" screamed a voice causing the two to turn and see several of their allies giving off green glows while some were collapsing in pain.

"W-What's going on?!" shouted Ex-Aid in confusion to the sight of the other armored warriors screaming.

Then one who had a beetle theme armor set changed into a white form before he disintegrated into light. "Kuuga-sempai disappeared?!" Then several other warriors started disintegrating into light as if they didn't exist in the first place. The group slowly dwindled with the two current ones having no idea what was causing their allies to disappear.

"Makoto-nii chan, Alain!" shouted Ghost as he noticed that two warriors similar to his armors except they were blue and green disappeared similar to the other one.

"Hiro-san! Taiga-san!" shouted Ex-Aid as two other warriors wearing similar armors to his also suffered from the same fates of disintegrating into light.

"You two! Come on! We need to leave this time!" shouted an armored warrior who had red armor with his helmet lens being two halves of a peach. He ran to them in haste then grappled their arms before dragging them away.

"What do you mean, Den-O sempai?" asked Ghost who had no idea what was going on. "Do you know what is causing the others to disappear?"

"Now it isn't the time for questions! Old man Ichi told me to get you two out of here otherwise you both will disappear from the timeline!" shouted the red armored warrior known as Den-O as he dragged the two across the burnt field while a train horn sounded followed by a high-speed electric train appearing to pick them up. The three crashed onto the floor as the train drove off on its self-constructing train track to gain speed away from the city.

* * *

"What about the others?! We can't just abandon them, sempai!" shouted Ex-Aid as he grabbed Den-O in a confronting manner. Ghost looked out the window as the train left the ground with the devastated city getting smaller. Then the train entered a portal that led it into a desert valley with a rainbow sky. This location was a realm where the flow of time had no effect.

"Well excuse me, for saving your ass, Pinky!" shouted Den-O as he pushed the game-based warrior off him.

"Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, Doctor, but your predecessors and allies have been displaced from the timeline. And it appears that the situation is graver than we thought." An effeminate, past middle-aged man in a suit stated with a grave tone as he stared out the window of the train car from his personal seat. On the table near him was a dish of fried rice which was crushed along with the flag snapped.

"What do you mean Owner? All we got to do is kick whoever's ass is causing this in order to save our pals, right?" asked Den-O as he stood up before sitting in one of the seats of the train car.

"Yes, but it appears that the enemy is more powerful than you imagine. Ghost, examine the Eyecons in your possession. Do you notice something wrong?" Owner asked the younger warrior who snapped out of his grief.

"Huh?" Ghost took out one sphere like object akin to an eyeball and noticed that its color was dulled grey. "Musashi's color… It's gray!" Then he took out other eyeball-like objects which showed similar conditions of color. "Everyone! Can you hear me? Come on! Answer me!" he shouted and he put one of them near where his ear was and heard nothing come out of it.

"It is as I fear, the Luminary Heroes' voices have been silenced as their souls are now summoned into conflicts greater than you could imagine, young Ghost. And… Humanity's future is now extinguished." The man known as Owner stated.

"What?! Hold on a minute! That tower thing that attacked us also took out humanity by itself?! That's impossible!" shouted Den-O in disbelief.

"Who said there was one? After all, that tower is actually one of the 72 Demon Pillars, and they have plunged all of humanity into extinction. Not only that, but it appears there are other anomalies in time that are also eliminating Humanity's future."

"W-What?! Then that means…" Ex-Aid could not help but lose hope.

"No! The future is still burning bright! We can save it along with our friends and Humanity!" proclaimed Ghost.

Owner smiled in response to Ghost's words. "Good. With our current choice of actions, we must first investigate an abnormality in the timeline." Then he took out a card that showed a date which was January, 30, 2004.

"Got it, time to find some clues and kick some anomaly ass!" shouted Den-O as he smacked his fist into his palm. He grabbed the card and pulled out a container with a t symbol. The red armored warrior inserted the card into the container and entered into the front car where a motorcycle rested. "Ikuze, DenLiner!" Den-O got onto the motorcycle and placed the container into a slot located in the motorcycle. Outside, the headlights of the train scrolled four digits on each light which were the year of the card, 2004. But as the train known as the DenLiner started speeding forward, the area behind it started to rumble, causing the liner train itself to be affected by the tremor.

"W-What's going on?!" shouted Ghost as he felt the tremor along with the other occupants of the passenger car.

"So the destruction of the future has caused heavy effects in this realm… Momotaros-kun, hurry!" shouted Owner as he got up in alarm.

"I know! Just don't complain when you get a motion sickness!" shouted the train warrior as he revved the motorcycle to increase the train's speed. Following the train were large cracks within the ground of the realm, tearing and collapsing it apart along the track. The Denliner managed to reach a portal which opened in front of it and entered a new place of time. But as the train exited, the collapse of the Sands of Time caused the portal to explode, sending the vehicle off course. The train cars shook as the train tracks also broke to pieces as a result of the destruction of the Sands of Time.

The electric train fell at an angle into a building, causing it to fall apart from the impact. After smashing through the building, the Denliner crashed and bounced a bit on the ground before screeching to a halt in a deserted and heavily damaged street. The doors of the passenger car open to reveal smoke before two of the armored warriors stumbled out and fell on their faces.

"Ugh… Sempai… please be a bit steadier next time…" Ghost muttered on his face after being subjected to the rough ride that left him and the pink armored warrior literally flung up-down-left-right of the train car.

"Ah shut it! Be glad we made it in one piece!" shouted Den-O as he walked out of the train with a bit of a stumble but otherwise fine from the crash landing the train had to make.

"Indeed. Though it appears the Denliner will have to be retired from operations for now, my friends." Owner also walked out of the train car without problem.

"Really? But what about my motorcycle, the DenBird?" asked Den-O as the two younger warriors behind him managed to get their bearings stood up shakily.

"Don't worry, Momotaros-kun. I'll be savaging what remains of the motorcycle, but keep the DenLiner Pass on your person still." Owner said while he took out a book. "And Doctor Ex-Aid, please give this to a young man with red hair. He will be a useful ally in dealing with these crises." The man handed the book to the game-based warrior before turning to the wrecked train.

"Um, Owner-san?" asked Ghost.

"Please, just call me Owner, Ghost. And what question do you have?" answered the older man as he took off his suit and rolled up his sleeves.

"How are we supposed to find the cause of the anomaly here?" asked the hoodie-jacket wearing warrior since they had no idea what to do.

"Hm… How about you start by finding the one who is attacking you all?" asked Owner before he entered the damaged train to salvage the motorcycle.

"Attacking us?" wondered Ghost before the building behind them exploded. The group slowly turned around to the sight of rubble and what remained of the building.

"What the?!" shouted Ex-Aid before the group heard a whistling sound followed by a flash of red in the sky.

"God damn it, Glowie! You just pissed off Murphy! Move it!" shouted Den-O as he ran quickly followed by Ex-Aid and Ghost as several crimson shots rained down behind them. With great agility, Ex-Aid jumped a large distance with Ghost quickly flying at a fast speed. The two moved past the older warrior who could only run from the attack. "Oi! Wait for me! No fair on getting ahead of your sem-AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!" Then an explosion from behind sent the train warrior flying into the air.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Sorry about the lack of activity, I am still constructing the Seventh Chapter for Kamen Rider IXA R. But I needed a little break, so I was inspired to create a crossover between Fate/Grand Order and Kamen Rider with my Kamen Rider Record as the hero of this story. If there a bit lack of content here, sorry about that. But there is still a lot that has to go on paper, so bear with me.**


	2. Chapter 1-1: First Order Pt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate Series or the Kamen Rider Franchise, but I do own the OC in this Story along with the devices I came up with. But the other OC appearing in this fic belongs to his respective owner.**

 **Chapter 1-1: First Order Part 1**

* * *

In the void of darkness, a sound, or rather an animal's cry, was heard nearby. "Fou…? Kyu… Kyu…"

"Ugh…" muttered a male voice.

"Fou! Fuu, Fou!" cried out the animal as the owner of the voice felt something wet brushing his cheek.

"Fou, there you are! Honestly, why must you run off like that- Huh, who's this?" wondered a female voice. "Hey, wake up."

"Ugh…" The darkness cleared and a young man in his teenage years woke up from his slumber. He wore a heavy ski jacket, a pair of ski pants, a helmet, a pair of ski goggles, a pair of black snow gloves, and a camouflage backpack. He looked up and noticed a girl with light pinkish, short hair who looked indifferent at his awakening. The girl had a pair of glasses and her hair covered one of her eyes, but he could still see that her other eye was still visible and it had an amethyst purple pupil. She wore a white and gray jacket, a black uniform with a red tie, and a black skirt with black leggings.

"…Um, it's neither morning or night time, so please wake up, Sempai." said the glasses wearing girl as she talked to the young man in the snow jacket.

"Sempai?" The young man wondered as he looked around with a questioning expression with his mouth, noticing that the corridor didn't have anyone except him and the girl. "Are you referring to me?"

"Yes." The girl said with an indifferent tone.

The young man stood up and looked around the corridor which was white and the walls had a logo that was a C with a wreath surrounding it. "Where am I?"

"Ah, that's a simple question. Thank goodness." The girl said with a relieved tone as she explained to the young man. "This is an observatory, built to make the future of the human race as long and strong as possible. This is the Chaldea Security Organization. But if you want the specifics, this is the corridor leading from the front gate to the central control room. In sketchy terms, this is the front of Chaldea's front gate."

"Chaldea? That's right…"

"Ahem. Either way, is that all, Sempai?" asked the girl, expecting the jacket wearing young man to be done with any question.

The young man nodded in response. "Yes."

"It appears you were resting, but to have a reason for sleeping in the corridor is a bit… Are you one of those people who cannot sleep unless their bed is hard?" wondered the girl as she gave a look of curiosity.

The young man didn't answer as he twisted his mouth in a troubled frown and looked down in thought. "You could say that. But… I was really sleeping here?"

"Yes, and soundly at that. Sleep that's sound enough for me to want to put it into a textbook." The girl said her words evenly without breaking her stoic mask.

"I see… I guess it has been a while since I could properly sleep." The young man muttered before he held his head due to a migraine.

"Fou! Kyu, Kyuu~!" cried out a little white furred animal which appeared to be the combination of a dog and squirrel.

"…I forgot. We've yet to introduce you, haven't we, Fou? This squirrel-like one is Fou. He's a very important creature that freely strolls through the halls of Chaldea. I was called here by Fou, and found you resting." The girl stated as she held the creature in her arms.

"I see… Pleasure to meet you, Fou." The young man greeted the animal with a salute.

"Fou. Nkyu, fou!" Then the animal known as Fou jumped out of the girl's arms and ran off somewhere in the building.

"…He's run off somewhere again. But don't worry, he walks around whenever he pleases."

"I see." The young man said with a curious expression evident from his open mouth. "I don't believe that I have seen any like it before."

"Yes, he doesn't approach anyone but me and Yule-san, but he seems to have gotten a liking for you. Congratulations. This is the birth of Chaldea's third attendant of Fou."

The young man took notice at the name. "Yule? As in Yule Syforce Lumiventus? You know him?"

"Huh? Yes-"

"Ah, that's where you were, Mashu. That's no good, you have to make sure you get permission before you move…" A man in a green long coat said as he approached the two. "Oops, looks like there was someone here already. You're…" The man tapped his finger on a device attached to his right wrist, but the data he received came up blank. "Unknown? I see, you're a newbie whose been assigned here today aren't you. I'm Lev Reinol. I'm one of the technicians working here. And you're…?"

The young man in the snow coat shook his head. "I don't have a human name, Mister Reinol. In truth, I came here through the mountains just to meet a person I helped by the name of Yule Syforce Lumiventus."

"Yule Syforce Lumiventus?" The man tapped on his device again and it revealed the face of a young man with silver hair and a number on his file which was 48. "Hm, he's actually the last of the 48 candidates invited here. But where are my manners? Welcome to Chaldea, young guest." The man said with a smile.

The young man saluted in response. "It's an honor to be here, sir. So can I speak with Mister Syforce? I was told to come here by him after my personal business was over."

Then the man thought what would be the proper response to his question. "Well, we can't grant your request for now. But there is one thing that interests me, I suppose you must have arrived here on some form of transportation, but how were you not turned away by one of our security guards?"

"I walked here and evaded some of the machine patrols outside." The young man said with a simple tone much to the surprise of his hosts.

"Walked?! But Chaldea is stationed high in the frozen mountains where there's little-to-no way of leaving here without proper transportation! A simple walk is not something to be done!" said the girl with a surprised and worried tone.

"That's true…" The man gave a suspicious stare before talking again. "How about you take off those warm clothes? We can't have you overheat while we talk."

"Sure." The young man began by taking off the heavy jacket he wore along with the snow cap with mask and a pair of ski goggles. After taking off the clothes, he was shown to be a redhead with dark crimson hair, a pale complexion around the same as the girl's, a semi-muscular build, and around the height of five foot, eight inches. Several noticeable features included his eyes were of different colors, one blue, one green, his face bored a scar along with a bandage on his nose, and the most noticeable was his mechanical right arm with a cuff on the wrist area, three-digit hand, and a headphone built where his left ear should be. The redhead deposited the articles of clothes into the backpack he had on his back.

"A mechanical arm?" the girl had never met anyone with a prosthetic before so her curiosity was justified.

"I see… now it all makes sense…" muttered Lev.

"Professor?" asked the girl.

"He's what is known as a cybernetically engineered and fully weaponized soldier. In layman's term, a weapon in human form. The mundane world sure has made something impressive if he could get through the snowstorm and all the way up the mountain without freezing to death." The man said with an interested tone.

The redhead nodded in response to the man's analysis. "Correct, I was designed for harsh climates and constant combat conditions."

The professor grinned with his interest increased towards this boy in front of him. He must be a successfully created artificial human being, did his old friend's research finally succeeded? After all, he had last heard her whereabouts were near a suspected military lab. "You found quite an interesting person, Mashu. Though, can we at least have some form of identification from you?"

The redhead registered the request as stating the identification he had right now. He stood straight with a stoic mask and saluted, "Sir! My weapon designation number is 00041!"

The man in the green coat laughed heartily at his introduction and patted the redhead's shoulder. "*Laugh* Quite the polite soldier you are! But we are getting off topic. I believe you must have questions on what we do here."

"Yes, what is this candidacy you were talking about?" asked the redhead with a curious tone.

"A mission that requires their services. 38 people from noble magi families, and 10 civilians with potential… We somehow managed to gather 48 master candidates. This is a jovial thing. The ones gathered here are all the people who have the aptitude to quantum spirit dive in 2015 after all."

"Spirit… Dive?" wondered the young man before another migraine took place in his head.

"Actually, what are you talking to him about, Mashu? That really isn't like you. Were you acquainted with him previously?" asked Lev who turned to the girl with a questioned face as he never seen the girl interacted with someone as personally as this boy. Could it be their similar natures?

"No, this is the first time. He was sleeping in this block, so we just happened to meet."

"Sleeping soundly? This boy? Here?" Lev gave a frown before making a conclusion since there was only one room that could cause such a symptom of sleepiness. "Ah, don't tell me you took the simulation when you were entered? If you aren't used to spirit quantum dives, you'll go dizzy. You probably walked here after being released by the gate while your outer consciousness still hasn't awoken. Basically a form of sleepwalking, Mashu here must have found you when you just collapsed." The man walked towards the redhead with an inquisitive stare before taking out a miniature flashlight to check his eyes.

"That explains the headaches." The redhead said as the headache subsided.

After the short examination, the professor put away the flashlight. "From what I can see there's no problems, but there's always a possibility of post-rejection." That one test subject was such a victim of the symptoms... Lev was surprised that the man could still see and hear. "I'd like to send you off to the infirmary, but… Sorry, try and endure for a bit more. The director's briefing is starting. You'll need to attend quickly too."

"Huh?" wondered Mashu.

"Hm? I need to attend a briefing? But didn't you say that you already gathered the right number of people?" asked the redhead who shared a similar puzzled but even face. Internally, he didn't wish to impose on the group and he wasn't privy to enter briefings he may not be welcomed in.

"Yes, but who's to say we can't have an extra player? You seemed to be fine after going through the jump, that proves you are more than a simple weapon in human form." Internally, Lev knew that this was another proof that the boy standing in front of him may had been a creation of hers. But he couldn't be too sure, it wasn't unnatural for others to copy her work, though they would usually end up dead or missing. "And the briefing is just a form of greeting to all Master candidates who, like Yule-kun, were assigned here today. Pretty much, this is tutorial number one from the organisation's boss to all the restless newbies. The director's the kind that'd not forgive the slightest fault after all. If you make a mistake, you'll have eyes on you for a year. The briefing will start in five minutes in the central control room. Head straight through this corridor. Hurry up."

"Professor Lev. Am I allowed to attend the briefing?" asked the girl known as Mashu.

"Mm? Well, if you stand in the corner I'm pretty sure they'd look the other way…Why?" asked the man though he knew why she would ask.

"I just thought that I should guide him to the control room. I wouldn't be surprised if he fell asleep again on the way there." The lavender-haired stated with gesture that made sense. The redhead they were with didn't have any clue where to go in Chaldea.

"…And if I leave you to it you'll be scolded by the director huh… Meaning that ultimately I'll be attending too. Well, if Mashu wants to do that, then do so. Are you fine with that, Shounen?"

"I don't mind." The redhead said with a shake of his head.

"If there's no other questions you need answered, we'll start heading to the control room. Do you have anything else you want to ask while we have the time?" asked the professor as the group started to walk.

The redhead gave some thought to what he should ask as he walked with the two members of Chaldea. Then he gave a glance at the girl before declaring his question. "Why does she, er, Miss Mashu, call me sempai? And what does that even mean?" In his time of fighting, the former soldier wasn't exposed to such an alien term.

"…" The girl kept her silence despite the glances that expected she would respond.

"Oh, don't worry about that. For a girl like her, any old person around your age would definitely be considered a sempai. And the word itself is actually from the Japanese language is a formal way for addressing one's senior in a group." Lev stated though his curiosity then switched to Mashu. He knew she wasn't familiar with the young man with them, so why did she decided to address him as a senior? "Though, you're right, that certainly -is- strange. Ah, but perhaps this is the only time she's done it?" The man wondered aloud before he turned to the girl in question with a questioning gaze. "I'm starting to wonder myself too. Hey, Mashu. Why do you call this boy sempai?"

"A…reason?" Mashu made a frown as to why she would call the redhead sempai. She gave a glance at him before responding. "He seems like the best person out of all the people I've met in here up to now."

"I see. And that means?"

"I truly feel no threat from him. In other words, he has no hostile motives whatsoever." Mashu stated robotically with her face still stoic though she did make a small smile.

"I see, that's very important! After all, a lot of people who come into Chaldea are pretty fishy! I agree with Mashu's assessment myself though. Ol' Shounen will get along great here!" agreed the older man with a carefree smile that looked almost fake as he gave a hard pat on the redhead's back.

"…Anyone Professor Lev likes is the type of person the director will hate, though." Mashu spoke with experience of how the director would glare at people who caught the attention and favor of the man. "…...um. At this point, what do you say to hiding yourself in the toilet and boycotting the meeting?"

The redhead made a confused face at her suggestion with a bit of offense from it. Though he wished to not impose, he can't help but be curious about what was it that this organization worked towards. "Are you serious? I'm not one to skip a briefing since it's important. Besides, I don't want to get on another superior's bad end because of it." From experience, he remembered about the number of times he was either yelled at or simply considered too much trouble to his superiors, doesn't help the fact they always sent him into dangerous operations.

The professor in the green coat nodded in agreement at his response. "True, true… At this point you might as well resign yourself and leave it up to fate. Just try jumping into the lion's den, Shounen. Hey, she's a charming enough person if you get used to it all."

The redhead made a posture that showed he was thinking about it. "So the director's just a rough-edged box of good?"

* * *

After the professor laughed at his analogy of the leader of Chaldea, Mashu and the visitor quickly walked to an elevator that led to a large space filled with towers that had LED-like circuits coursing through them. The group walked to the control room which was filled with several rows of people along with window that viewed a big globe-like blue sphere with several metal axis.

"This is the central control room. Sempai," said Mashu as she led the redhead near a wall where they can observe from a distance.

"This sure is different from any control room I've ever been in." The redhead said as he looked around the area before his eyes landed on the azure globe. He was in awe at such a sight as he stared up at the structure.

"Yes, it's quite an impressive sight." The girl nodded.

"What is that globe?" asked the redhead as he pointed at it.

"That is Chaldeas. It is proposed that planets had souls, so this miniature Earth was replicated to reflect that soul. 'As long as the light of civilization burns in Chaldeas, humanity is guaranteed to last at least for another 100 years.'" Mashu explained to the redhead.

"I see... That sounds like an impressive tool." The redhead said with his continued awe.

"Just try not to touch the surface. Anything that touched the surface of Chaldeas will be reduced to molecules." Lev warned.

The redhead young man made a somewhat shocked face before regaining his composure. Then he continued looking around for the person he was seeking out. "Now where's Mister Syforce? He must be around here somewhere."

"Hm… Oh, he's over there!" Mashu pointed to an area.

"Really?" asked the redhead as he looked to see a young man with silver hair that was cut short at the back but had a long bang on the front. He appeared to be around the age of twenty, and he was sitting in the front row with a number of people who wore uniforms similar to his. "This isn't good, he's in the front row… I can't talk to him with all of these people here."

"Yes, it seems there won't be a way to talk to him until after the meeting."

Professor Lev decided to cut in when he noticed something going on at the entrance. "We better stop the chitchat. Look, things are already starting." A young woman walked into the room with a self-important air and she stood at the podium.

"*Ahem* Tardiness aside, it seems all members are now present." She stated as she began the introductions to the people present. "The secret organization Chaldea welcomes you all. I am Chief Olgamally Animusphere. You all have been chosen from around the globe, in some cases rare finds-"

Black spots starting clouding the redhead's vision and he felt his eyelids get somewhat heavy. Then darkness filled his vision as glimpses of the scene passed by his inner world.

* * *

"How dare you sleep!" shouted a voice before a slap was heard.

"I'm awake, sir!" shouted the redhead before he stood straight from his position and saluted with his right arm. Some people turned to him with questioning looks.

"Sempai, she wasn't talking to you." Mashu whispered, much to the young man's confusion. She pointed to a certain direction of where a person who was knocked to the ground from his seat.

"Mister Syforce!" The redhead gave an alarmed look and ran to help the young man to his feet. The woman known as Olga gave a glare at the young man.

"You! Bring that commoner to his room and tell him that his position for the first mission has been terminated and future endeavors postponed until further notice!" ordered the woman who was obviously angry that someone dared to sleep through her briefing.

"Yes sir!" said the redhead as he brought Yule to his feet and took him out of the room with Mashu following him.

In the hallway, the redhead placed the young man with brown hair down in a sitting position to the wall.

"Ugh…" The young man placed his hand on his face to rub his eyes. "…Did I fall asleep?" Then he felt the sting of lingering pain on his cheek. "Ow! Ow! Ow! What in the world hit me?"

"You were sleeping in the middle of the briefing. Your sleep was something sort of like...REM sleep, somehow. Anyways, the director's slap is the best wake-up call around." Mashu stated to the silver-haired young man.

"I'll say, just the sound of it woke me up. And I thought the drill sergeant hits loud." The redhead said with a bothered look.

"That voice…" Yule looked up to see the face of the two people who brought him to the hallway. Then the young man stood up with a hopeful tone. " **Aka**? Is that really you?"

The redhead gave a confused look before realizing he was actually addressing him. "Yes, it's been quite a long time, Mister Syforce."

"With that formal tone, it's definitely you, Aka." The young man said with a smile that had a hint of nostalgia. "Never thought you would actually find this place, kid. But I guess giving you those instructions did the trick!"

"Indeed, but why did you want me here?"

"Well, call it intuition and the fact I don't really trust Magi. Most are a suspicious bunch that can cause havoc when they want to, especially that old man whose-name-shall-not-be-name-otherwise-he-will-appear…" From personal experience, that one Mage managed to nearly get him caught up in either his pranks or explorations. Luckily, none of the people here hadn't try such things. "But everything and everyone here seems pretty nice, and you do need somewhere to stay, being a decommissioned weapon and all."

"I see… Thanks for considering me, Mister Syforce."

"Anytime, Aka." Yule said with a smile.

"Yule-san, as you've been dismissed from the first mission, right now I'm to guide you to your room-kyaa!?" Then the small animal known as Fou charged at Mashu and jumped at an incredible velocity. The white-furred squirrel-like creature landed on her shoulder and crawled to her other shoulder to get a good position.

"Fou!"

"Is it even safe for it to jump at you at that speed?" asked the redhead bewildered by the animal's action.

"It's fine, this happens all the time, nothing to worry about." Mashu waved off while petting the white-furred creature.

"She's right about that, I mean that's how I met you. Though I never did get your name despite introducing myself." Yule said while awkwardly scratching his head. She was chasing after the creature known as Fou before encountering him, who got lost trying to find the briefing.

"My apologies, I would had introduced myself, but Fou ran off before I could." Mashu apologized to the silver-haired young man who waved it off.

"It's fine. So mind telling me your name?"

"It's Mashu… **Mashu Kyrielight**. Though I don't really use it that much." The girl said.

"Nice to meet you, Mashu. I believe I said it before but I'm **Yule Syforce Lumiventus**. And it's fine to have a name, it's what you identify yourself." The young man said with a nod.

"Oh, nice to meet you too, Miss Mashu." The redhead said before bowing.

"You can call me by my name informally, Sempai." Mashu stated.

"Oh, all right." The redhead nodded as his expression was still a bit stoic with a hint of nervousness.

"Though speaking of names, why did you call him **Aka** , Yule-san?" asked Mashu with genuine curiosity.

"Well… I felt that he needed a name, so I went with Aka which refers to his red hair."

"That is not really creative." Mashu said with a disappointed look.

"Hey, give me credit that he at least has a name! Though, I _expected_ him to remember that nickname." Yule said with a pointed look at the redhead.

"Sorry, I never really took that name to heart, so it must have slipped my mind." The redhead bowed in apology before he stood up with the nervousness on his face growing. His body becoming a bit more rigid.

"*Sigh* I shouldn't be surprised, you do love fighting after all." Yule said, remembering the number of times the redhead had gotten into a brawl when they were escaping a group of mercenaries before they separated.

"I do not love fighting, Mister Syforce! I was simply created with a good proficiency in it!" The redhead stated with a matter-of-factly tone.

"Right, battle-nut would be the right way to describe you!" teased the older male.

"Is this really the time for teases, Mister Syforce? You did get kicked out of the first mission of whatever this organization is built for." The redhead stated with an unamused look.

The young man sighed and slumped a bit from the younger male's response. "You don't have to remind me… But did she have to slap me?"

"Be lucky the director didn't have a gun on her. If my sergeant caught someone sleeping on the job, he would shoot them in the foot and tell them to continue standing on duty." The redhead recalled as if it was normal for him.

"The director isn't that ruthless. I think." Mashu said with a contemplating expression.

Yule paled at the several notions and Mashu's last statement didn't ease him. "Guys, just drop this otherwise I'm going to have nightmares tonight."

"Yes sir." The redhead Yule called "Aka" saluted to the older young man.

"I don't know if you're doing that on purpose..." Yule said with a sweat drop at how quickly the redhead dropped the topic.

"Allow me to escort you to your room, Yule-san."

"Sure."

As the group walked, the redhead did have a few more questions he had. "So that young woman was the director of Chaldea? She looks to be around Mister Syforce's age." Aka said with a confused look.

"Actually, I would say around she was around your and Mashu's age, Aka. But you do have a point, normally an organization like this had to be handled by someone who is at least a decade older than her." Yule said in return while cupping his chin in thought.

"In the world of magecraft, ability is a given, but lineage says a lot as well. The director is the head of the Animuspheres, a distinguished family of mages. She indeed has a strong predilection for bloodlines." Mashu explained since the head could be a young if the previous head died suddenly. "Though she did inherit her position after her father's sudden death a few years ago."

"More like those rude elitists who never had to fight a day in their lives." Yule muttered with a hint of contempt. He already had enough trouble with snobby rich people, due to the amount of trouble they seemed to stir up. Though the director was just a strict person, and he was in the wrong by sleeping.

"You aren't wrong there, Mister Syforce." Aka stated as they exited the elevator. "But there is something that is bothering me. What is Chaldea's goal for gathering people like Mister Syforce, Mashu?" asked the redhead as he followed the girl in the hallway.

"Yule-san and the other 47 candidates have the potential to be masters and are compatible for Rayshift experiment." The girl explained as she led the two through the hallway.

"Rayshift? What's that?" asked Aka as a he blinked.

"Rayshift turns humans into Spiritrons and sends them back into the past to intervene certain events."

"So basically time travel." Yule concluded while cupping his chin in thought with his eyes narrowing on one thing. "But from what I read in sci-fi novels, messing with the past can cause a whole lot of trouble. Time paradoxes, alternate timelines, and even fractured timelines where everything goes to hell."

"Correct, but there is a reason why this plan was implemented. Remember Chaldeas?"

"The globe that represents the Earth's soul and humanity's future? Did something happen to it?" asked Aka who was keeping up with the conversation.

"Yes, the light of humanity's future has suddenly begun to die." Mashu stated in an even but grave tone. "If the light disappears, that means civilization will come to an end. According to our observations, the human race will become extinct in December 2016."

"Seriously? But for our future to disappear like that is way too abnormal! Unless, did something happen to past?" asked Yule with an inquiring tone with his body language showing his nervousness.

"The chief has also reached that conclusion as you believed Yule-san, so she immediately had the Rayshift experiment be placed to send the candidates into the past, investigate the cause of the future's disappearance, then destroy it. The first mission is investigating a new abnormality known as Spatial Singularity F. We discovered from 2004 to 2016 CE, there was a suburban city in Japan that was an 'unobservable area' and did not exist in history Chaldea believes this is the cause for the future's disappearance and proposed the Rayshift experiment to the United Nations, which received approval."

Yule eyes widened that this organization received approval from the United Nation. "The UN knows about this place? I am more surprised that they all agreed to such a plan, normally they would be sending people here to steal the secrets of Chaldea. Considering what happened in the past for us, Aka." There should had been a limit to the amount of mercenaries a group could hire, he was lucky that Aka had his back when people were after them.

"Indeed, Mr. Syforce. But this is quite a remarkable project... we're correcting events in history? Science and magic sure are incredible." Aka nodded with genuine amazement before he let his eyes wandered back to Mashu as they continued traveling through the corridors of the facility.

"But the Rayshift is just an idea Chaldea is trying to conduct, but the success of it will depend on this first mission." Mashu said as they passed a lab that was vacant.

"Even so, we're time traveling to save the future. That's still incredible." Yule said with a smile as they continued to walk through the hallway. "Though why would they need citizens like me? I mean, I'm sort of a special case but that doesn't mean I actually practice the magic you people use."

Mashu took notice to his words but waved them off as there would be certain civilians who were descended from Magi families. "That's because a large number of potential masters are needed after moving the Rayshift plan's experimental stage to practical use. But only a handful of Magi had that potential."

"Huh, so that's why average citizens like myself were so aggressively recruited."

"Will you leave Chaldea?" asked Mashu though she kept her gaze forward.

"I haven't decided yet, but I want to do whatever I can to help you guys. After all, leaving because I got kicked out of the first mission just leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Yule stated.

"How about you, sempai?"

"…I'm going to stay here for a while. I don't have anywhere else to go anyway." The redhead said as he turned his head to look at the windows that showed the snow falling hard.

"As high as we are, we can't see the blue sky." Mashu stated as she stopped to comment on his action.

"Blue sky, huh?" wondered the redhead as he stared out the window. "Better than a black and red one."

"Sempai?"

"It's nothing, is Mister Syforce's room around here?" asked the redhead as he turned away from the window.

"It's close by, just follow me and we'll get there soon." Mashu said as she led the two males.

"Hey Aka…" called out Yule, causing the redhead to turn around.

"Yes?"

"Don't worry, we're far away from the battlefield you were forced on. So let it remain in the past, all right?" assured the silver-haired young man as he placed his hand on the young male's shoulder.

"Understood." Aka nodded with his cold expression dissipating into a small, relaxed smile.

* * *

"This is your room, Yule-san." Mashu said as the group of three stopped in front of a room door.

"Thank you for your help." The young man thanked the girl for her help.

"Not at all."

"So are you participating in this mission, Mashu?" asked Yule with a curious tone.

"Yes, which is why I must leave now. Sempai, I'll see you after the mission." Then she ran for a bit until Aka called out.

"Mashu!" The girl stopped and turned around to look at the redhead. Then the young man realized he didn't have any words. "Just… Be careful out there. All right?"

The girl gave a small smile and wave before running to her destination. The redhead gave a small wave in exchange.

"So you two were hitting it off already? That's kind of surprising." Yule commented with a hint of a tease and a Cheshire smile.

"We were, Mister Syforce? I thought it was necessary since I had observed such conversations between normal soldiers of differing sexes." Aka stated with an oblivious tone.

"Well… You're not wrong there, kid." The young man smiled but knew there was something going on between the two. Normally the younger male would ignore or be silent upon meeting another person, but that girl managed to make him open up. He really had improved since their days together. "She's quite an interesting girl. Come on, let's get in for some slee-" When Yule opened the door, the two were greeted to a young man with strawberry blond hair tied in a ponytail, eating a strawberry cake in front of a laptop. The man wore a white coat with a green inner part along with a pair of white pants. "Um… Excuse me…"

"Yes… Come in…" The unknown man responded automatically. After a moment, he shouted and pointed the fork at the two. "Who are yo-"

In response to the fork point, Aka's left eye gained a small shade of red. Then from his point of view, his mind designated the unknown man as an enemy. Choosing his course of action, the redhead charged forward, grabbed the man's outstretched arm, pulled him from the bed he was sitting on, and threw him onto the ground. Then the weaponized human sat on the man's abdomen and brought a large combat knife to his neck. "Identify yourself and your throat won't be slit for trespassing!"

"Trespassing?!" shouted the man in indignation but the redhead smacked his head down.

"I said, 'Identify yourself!' Or do you prefer choking on your own blood and suffering an agonizing death?" threatened the redhead as he pressed the knife close on the man's neck, the bluntness of his tone meant he was serious.

"Okay! Okay! I'm Doctor Roman of Chaldea! If this is about me playing hooky, then I'm sorry!" shouted the man.

"Hooky?" Aka questioned before he turned to Yule who gave a stunned face at the sudden action that the redhead took. So much for improving... "Mister Syforce, what is hooky?"

The older young man snapped out of his stunned state and gave a response with his eyes narrowed with worry about the man being held down. "He means he's skipping his duties, Aka. But let the poor man go! He hasn't done anything to threaten us!" shouted the young man with silver hair.

"He pointed this weapon at us." The redhead said as he picked up the dropped fork while his right hand kept a firm grip on the identified Doctor.

"That isn't a weapon! It's just a fork!" shouted Yule, much to his frustration.

"Yes, and I used such a weapon to kill ten men! Along with a similar weapon called a spoon." The redhead recalled a rather troublesome fight where he was equipped with a knife and fork with a spoon between his teeth.

Then Yule remembered that he had to give a different reasoning to the redhead and palmed his face. Why was it that he can't be reasoned like a normal person? "Oh right, weaponized soldier… That's just a dining utensil used for eating food, not killing people!" reasoned the black-haired young man.

The redhead gave the fork a questioning look before turning to the silver-haired male. "Are you sure?"

"YES!" shouted Yule and the unknown man who identified himself as Doctor Roman.

* * *

After a lot more reasoning and persuasion, Aka finally got off the man who stood up and quickly hid behind the bed in the room.

"Now then… let's try this again… Why are you here?" asked Yule after he had Aka sit in a seiza position as punishment for his actions. It's not quite a comfortable sitting position due to his mechanical legs under the snow pants.

"This is my 'hooky hangout!'" shouted the man behind the bed until he realized how embarrassing the name was. "Who said you could come here?"

"I was told this was my room." Yule said in honesty though he had a feeling that due to his late arrival before Aka, his room was likely unoccupied. Doesn't help that he brought little to Chaldea, so anyone could assume that the room he was assigned with had yet to be filled.

"What? Your room? *Sigh*" Then the man realized his folly. "So the last kid finally showed up. Though I don't remember an extra one." He gave a short glance at the redhead before quickly looking away from his eyes in fear.

The male scratched the back of his head while trying to come up with a suitable answer. "Well... I sort of invited him to join me here at Chaldea. But since he's here, it must mean he's clear of being here. So um… Can you repeat who you are? I'm sorry about my friend's actions. He reacts pretty badly to anyone pointing something pointy in front of him." Yule bowed in apology. Though the redhead's reactions actually saved them both from a dozen assassins armed to the teeth. Internally, he shivered after remembering that said teeth were also miniature detonators. Those guys were crazy.

"You don't think I noticed? I've heard of weaponized soldiers, but I never thought I would encounter one here…" The man muttered while glancing at Aka who met with eye-contact. The man smiled after noticing that the redhead had a naive expression. "Right, I'm Romani Archaman, head of the medical division. Everyone here just calls me Doctor Roman."

"Wait, you're a head of a division?! I'm terribly sorry for my actions, sir!" shouted Aka as he bent over to apologize.

Roman gave a surprised face before waving the apology off. "It's fine, I'm technically the one at fault here for using your friend's room as my personal hangout. Besides, I'm just a run-of-a-mill doctor, so you don't have to be too formal with me. By the way, isn't the Rayshift starting soon? I heard everyone including the staff are involved."

"Oh… Actually…" The silver-haired young man trailed off in nervousness due to the circumstances of why he was here instead of in the control room.

"Mister Syforce got thrown out by the director-" Aka responded for him before getting cut off.

"Aka, shut up! Let me explain what happened, all right?" asked Yule as he covered the younger teen's mouth before he could spill what happened.

"Understood." Aka responded. Roman chuckled at the interaction and brother-like relationship that the two seemed to have.

* * *

After a long explanation with Yule taking a seat on a nearby chair and Aka placing his bag near a wall before sitting back on the floor, Roman decided to pour cups of hot cocoa for the two and himself. "In other words, you infuriated the director and was cut from the first mission." Roman summarized as he put the cups on a tray.

"Yes." Yule answered begrudgingly on why he could no longer join in on the first mission. He leaned his cheek on his palm with the arm in a vertical position and the elbow resting on a knee. He gave a half-hearted angry expression at the memory.

"How about you?" asked Roman as he turn to Aka.

"I doubt that the director even acknowledged my presence, Doctor. But I'm probably on her black list." Aka suspected by the familiar way the woman glared at him.

"Then we're three of a kind." Roman said with a friendly smile.

"Eh?"

"You've also been kicked out, Doctor Ackerman?" asked Aka who also had an expression akin to surprise.

"Yep. The director chased me out saying, 'When Romani is here, the mood softens up too much!' All I could do was sulk in this room." The man replied as he offered the drinks to the two. Aka got up to take a cup along with Yule.

"Huh, really?" responded Yule as he sat back down before blowing on his cup and drinking it. Aka just drank it though he made a face that regretted the action, due to how hot the drink was.

"But now since neither of us has anything to do, we should deepen our relationship."

"Not in the gay way, right?" asked Yule with a mock nervous tone. "I mean, I'm fine with you being into guys, but-"

"What?! No, not in that way!" shouted Roman indignantly. "I mean like a brothers in arms kind of deal!"

"Sorry, but that was a joke too good to pass up." Yule with a smile.

"Mister Syforce, I don't think teasing about an individual's sexuality is a good way of joshing. I have seen normal soldiers get into fights because of such words. Though I have yet to see an incident where they kill each other." The young man stated with what he remembered about two normal soldiers getting into brawls over such insults.

"That's quite morbid… Is he always like this?" asked Roman who had a bit of uneasiness with a weaponized soldier in the room.

Yule gave an apologetic face with a smile. "Sorry about that, Aka's lived most of his life on the battlefield. So he's quite inexperienced with us normal people."

Roman nodded. "I can tell. Any regular person wouldn't flash a knife against another person's throat upon feeling threatened."

"It's a self-defense mechanism, Doctor. I have to be on alert especially in a secluded location like this."

"Why?"

"It's easy for a dangerous killer to slaughter everyone here." The redhead stated with a straight face

Roman and Yule gave pale expressions at the thought. "You know… it's scary when you make a logical point like that one. But don't worry, nobody here is like that. After all, if there was someone like that in the organization, the director would already have had them kicked out into the frigid blizzard."

"Don't raise any ominous flags, Doc." Yule said with a nonchalant tone with a smile.

"*Laughs* Don't worry about that!" Roman said with a smile.

"Flags? What do you mean, Mister Syforce?" asked Aka who was oblivious to the term. That caused the two other males in the room to laugh louder.

* * *

As time passed, Roman decided to explain the structure of Chaldea to the other two occupants of the room as the preparations for the first mission took place.

"And that's Chaldea's structure. It was built 6,000 meters above the sea level in the mountains, with a basement workshop…" Then a ringing noise could be heard from a location, cutting the doctor's exposition off. The man rolled his sleeve back to reveal a device similar to the one that Professor Lev had. "Yes, Lev?"

"Romani. The Rayshift is going to begin shortly. Would you come here, just in case?"

Roman took notice at the odd order and gave confused but curious question. "Did something happen?"

"Team A is ready, but Team B and down are having abnormality issues with some of the people who aren't used to this. This is likely because of anxiety for things to come. The insides of the coffins are like cockpits, after all." The man stated as he observed from the control room as several of the potential masters were wearing armored one-piece suits while waiting for something.

"Then I'll anesthetize them." Roman responded in a professional tone.

"Hurry. You're in the medical office, correct? You should be able to get here in two minutes."

"Okay."

"Don't be late."

Then the doctor closed the link and placed his hands on his knees, preparing to leave.

"But this isn't the medical office. Why lie?" asked Aka as he also stood up to face the doctor.

"W-Well, I won't get in trouble for being a little bit late. Besides, it sounds like Team A isn't having any issues. Ah, the man I was talking to…"

"Professor Lev, correct? I met him earlier and he introduced himself as one of the engineers who worked here." Aka stated after recalling the man he met earlier.

"Is he that man in the green coat and top hat who walked in with you and Mashu?" asked Yule who remembered seeing the redhead though he couldn't recall properly along with Mashu and the professor.

"Yes, Mister Syforce." Aka nodded in confirmation.

Then Roman laughed a bit to the surprise of the two. "An engineer? That was incredibly humble of him."

"Judging from your expression, I guess he must be pretty high up." Yule guessed with a curious expression.

"Yep. He was the mage who created the telescope for observing the pseudo global environmental model Chaldeas-the Near-Future observation lens, Shiva. On that topic, the former director was the one who constructed the Rayshift's summoning system. And Atlas Academy provided the Pseudo Heroic Spirit Calculator,basically a supercomputer, to implement and actualize the theory. So many talented people have come together to make it all possible."

Aka nodded in amazement at the amount of cooperation. "Yes, that does sound incredible."

"Well, when the future is about to be lost, we need all the help we can get." Yule reasoned.

"It seems pointless to have an average doctor like me on hand, but when they call for me, I go." The man stated as he stood up to leave the room.

"I don't think you are useless, Doctor Archaman." Aka said with his even tone as he turned to face the doctor. Then the former soldier looked at his hands as a memory surfaced. "In truth, I feel envious that you can save lives while I can only take them."

"…" Roman was stunned by the weaponized soldier's words and smiled. "Aka, was it? Thanks for listening to my rambling. You too, Yule."

"Any time, Doctor." Yule said with a smile.

"Once things settle down, come visit me in the office. I got some delicious cake-"

Then a rumbling sound was heard before the lights started flickering before shutting down.

"What it this?" Roman looked puzzled due to the power going out.

"A power outage?" wondered Yule.

But the redhead realized what made the rumbling sound so familiar. "No… something worse!" shouted Aka before he discarded his cup and ran out of the room.

"Wait, Aka!" shouted Yule as he reached out to him.

"Follow him! Chaldea shouldn't have any power outages!" Roman said as he followed the redhead's sprint out of the door. The silver-haired young man followed suit and the three ran through the hallway as alarms started blaring.

* * *

"Do you know what's going on, Aka?" shouted Yule over the alarms as they ran.

"An explosion took out something! Likely the main generator!" shouted Aka as he continued to run at a sprinting pace.

"EMERGENCY ALERT. FIRES HAVE BROKEN OUT IN THE CENTRAL POWER PLANT AND CENTRAL CONTROL ROOM."

"Fires?!"

"A power plant?! Okay, that's even worse than a destroyed generator!" shouted Yule.

"The central control room?" Aka asked upon hearing the announcement state the two locations where fires broke out. Before remembering that was where Mashu was headed for the first mission.

"THE CENTRAL DIVISION WILL BE CLOSED IN 240 SECONDS. ALL PERSONNEL, PLEASE EVACUATE FROM GATE 2 IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: FIRES HAVE BROKEN-"

"Mashu!" Then the redhead increased his pace and ran farther from the two.

"Aka! Wait!" shouted Yule as he had to increase his own pace to keep up.

The three managed to arrive to the entrance of the central control room and waited for the doors to automatically open. Upon entering, the room was sight of horror due to the amount of debris, fire, and destruction. And debris from the ceiling had continued falling in the room.

"This is horrible…" Yule was stunned how the room had turned into such a scene even though he was near here moments ago.

"Only Chaldea is unharmed?" questioned Roman as he looked up at the globe which was unscathed.

"This is definitely the work of a bombing… And a large one at that." Aka stated as he looked around for any signs of the girl.

"Yeah, an undeniable act of sabotage." Roman said with a serious tone.

"SUSPENSION OF POWER OUTPUT UNIT CONFIRMED. INSUFFICIENT POWER GENERATION."

"Not good!" Then Roman turned around to look up to the overhead room as the announcement continued. The glass separating the room and the central room of Chaldeas was shattered and there were no visible people at the control.

"Aka! What's their conditions?" asked Yule.

Aka's left eye was scanning the upper room and there were no heat signs detected. "I can't tell, but… There're no signs of life in that room." Aka said with a grave tone with a shake of his head.

Roman ran to the entry that the three came through with a plan in mind. "I'll go to the basement power plant!"

"Wait! Isn't it dangerous?"

"I can't let the light of Chaldea go out! You two need to go back through the way we came from!" shouted Roman as he paused for a moment before he ran out of the room.

"Doctor Roman!" shouted Yule as he reached out, but the door closed.

"BULKHEAD CLOSING IN 180 SECONDS."

Aka looked down after hearing the announcement and decided to do something. "Mister Syforce, help Doctor Archaman with the power plant! I'll look for any survivors here!" Aka stated with a firm expression to the older male.

However, Yule knew it was dangerous leaving the younger male alone and prepared to retort. "But Aka-!"

"Look, it's already dangerous with the fires and falling debris here! I was designed for such conditions, so don't worry about me! And whoever planned this sabotage may still be around, so you cover the Doctor's back!" stated Aka who knew he was making a logical point by gesturing to his mechanical parts.

"ALL PERSONNEL IN CENTRAL DIVISION PLEASE EVACUATE FROM GATE 2 IMMEDIATELY."

Yule relented with his fist balled tight. "*Frustrated Sigh* Fine, don't die on me, got it?"

"Understood, Mister Syforce." Aka replied before the older male ran out to catch up with Roman. The redhead turned around and ran to jump over the rubble and debris laying around. Upon going through the obstacles, the redhead first looked at the tubes which were filled with a person in each one. His left eye's iris glowed and he analyzed any signs of life in the bodies. "Life pulses are critical but not within full danger. But no sign of Mashu…"

"RAYSHIFT TRANSFERRING TO FINAL STAGE. COORDINATES: JANUARY 30TH, 2004 CE. FUYUKI, JAPAN."

He quickly picked up the pace and ran through the room searching for any sign of a certain girl. "Mashu! If you can hear me, answer!" shouted Aka as he used his eyes to search for the girl. Then he heard a familiar animal-like cry. "That sound!"

* * *

"Fou!" cried the Fou as it tried to wake of the girl.

"Mashu!" shouted Aka as he climbed up the stones to find Mashu with her lower body stuck under a large piece of debris.

The girl woke upon hearing his voice and looked up to see his face. "Sempai…"

"Hold on, I'll get you out of there!" shouted the redhead as he knelt down and grabbed the large piece of debris to get the girl out of it. Despite feeling it burn his left hand, he pulled up to elevate the rock. "Come on!"

"Never mind me… Please… you need to… run…" The girl let out due to her injuries.

Then the ground cracked under his feet as the redhead former soldier managed to make the rock move a bit. "Okay, nearly got it to move!" Aka said between his teeth as perspiration formed at his forehead.

"Please, just run! There's no hope-"

"Look, I'm just an expendable, mass-produced soldier, but I know when to keep fighting even if it seems hopeless! I'm going to get you out of this rock, and you are going to live!" shouted Aka as he continued to pull up despite the strain on his body. Then he felt his body give out and the redhead had to stop to catch his breath. "Damn it, my base strength isn't enough!"

Then an alarm rang before another announcement was heard. "WARNING TO OBSERVATION STAFF. CHALDEAS' CONDITION HAS CHANGED. SHIVA'S NEAR-FUTURE OBSERVATION DATA WILL BE OVERWRITTEN. THE SURVIVAL RATE OF THE HUMAN RACE ON EARTH FOR NEXT 100 YEARS IS NOW UNCONFIRMED. THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED."

As the announcement took place, the globe known as Chaldeas started to change from its blue hue into a scarlet red akin to the colors of flames.

"Chaldeas is…" Mashu was distressed at the condition of the globe.

"CENTRAL BUNKHEAD WILL NOW BE SEALED." The internal AI announced which caused the only door out of the room to be shut by two steel doors that could block an atomic blast. "COMMENCING INTERIOR CLEANSING IN 90 SECONDS."

"Sempai… I'm sorry… Because of me…"

"*Sigh* It's fine, Mashu. I've been dangerous situations like this and I managed to get out them from around a few scrapes to a couple of holes in my gut." Aka stated as he shook his head. "But let me get you…" Then the former soldier noticed an increasing pool of blood from where the girl was trapped. Then he felt the calculations in the augments in his brain take place which resulted in her survivability being lowered. "Tch."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Aka repositioned himself and tried to lift the rock again. "Are you okay?" asked the redhead behind his gritted teeth.

"Yes… I'm fine…" Mashu got out before she had to level her breath while trying to keep herself awake.

The former soldier strained to lift the stone, but he felt his strength fail him and he had to release his grip. "Tsk. Still no good!" Aka punched the stone with his left fist in frustration and left a crack in the stone.

"Sempai?" asked Mashu.

The redhead realized he may had made her injuries worse with that action. "Sorry, did that hurt you?"

"Don't worry… I'm… fine…" Mashu muttered.

"That's good…" The redhead didn't have any other ideas and sat next to the girl while trying to come up with another plan.

"SEEKING QUALIFIED MASTERS… SEEKING…"

"Sempai… You can't see… the sky… at all… from here."

"Yeah, that blue sky you mentioned can't be seen here due to the blizzard. I guess that's something we both share." Aka said while remembering what the girl wanted.

"…Really?"

"Yeah, when I first went outside, the sky was always black and red due to all of the fighting… Sometimes it's also gray due to a large number of rainstorms." Aka recalled his time as a soldier. "But… I guess that blue sky must be nice. Once we get out of here, I'll show you it." The weaponized human closed his eyes with a thoughtful expression.

"Sempai…" Mashu moved her hand a bit and shakily lifted it towards the redhead's direction. "Can you… lend me… your hand?"

Aka took notice of her action and nodded with a softened face. "Sure." Then he held her outstretched hand with both his left hand and mechanical right hand. "Sorry if my hands are a bit scorching hot."

"It's fine…" Mashu said with a refreshed smile as she felt the warmth from her sempai's hands.

Aka was stunned by her smile and could only make a small smile in response. "Good."

"GAINING CONTACT WITH UNKNOWN DESIGNEE… IDENTIFYING… IDENTIFIED… DESIGNEE [R]." announced the dumb AI in the system and the room started to rumble from instability.

The redhead stared at the girl's amethyst purple eyes as she closed them in peace. Then the former soldier made a pained expression before continuing to hold her hand.

"START UNSUMMON PROGRAM."

"Hey Mashu, if there really is a place of rest… I hope it be a place with blue skies." The redhead muttered as he closed his eyes. Then a mark suddenly emblazoned on his chest which was similar to a power symbol commonly seen on technology but with the line replaced with a sword. Around the symbol was a pattern similar to flames and snowflakes. Then the top of his left hand glowed to form a coat of arms with an R in the center section of it and an outer pattern surrounding it. Before long, light began to engulf the room.

"BEGINNING SPIRITRON CONVERSION. RAYSHIFT BEGINNING IN 3… 2… 1…"

After the announcement countdown, a tunnel of light formed with the destination being another light. "ALL OPERATIONS CLEARED. BEGINNING FIRST ORDER VERIFICATION."

* * *

 _Date: January 30, 2004_

 _Location: Fuyuki City, Japan_

Within the darkness, Aka lied in it unconscious. Then he felt something tickle his face, suddenly he opened his eyes, realizing he was still alive. His eyes wandered to the face of a familiar white-furred creature. "Fou…" The redhead sat up and turned to the small animal before looking around his surroundings. "Where is this?" The young man sat on a deserted, damaged street which was abnormal considering it was a city crosswalk street which would normally be filled with cars and people. Then he noticed how the buildings were tattered and virtually abandoned after being obvious target of an unknown powerful weapon. The sky was a familiar sight of black and grey clouds tinted red by faraway flames. "A city? That's right! Where's Mashu?" Then he stood up and looked around with worry evident on his face.

At that moment, he heard a whistling sound, so he looked up to the sky with puzzlement at its familiarity. A line of red light akin to a shooting could be seen in the grey sky, then the redhead's eyes widened in alarm at what made the sound so familiar. "Artillery!" The young man quickly grabbed Fou and ran at an incredible speed. At that point, another flash of red took place in the sky followed by a rain of crimson shots that aimed for the weaponized soldier. With quick movements, Aka barely dodged the crimson rain of death. But as he caught his breath, another volley fell towards him with no way to evade it. He could only turn his back to protect the small animal from the attack.

Suddenly, a large shield as tall as him landed in between the young man and the volley of death. Followed by the large onyx black shield blocking the barrage.

"Huh?" Aka turned around to see Mashu holding the shield protecting him and her from danger. "Mashu!" The redhead noticed that the girl was now in a different outfit which consisted of armor covering her torso along with a pair of black and purple gloves along with a matching pair of armored leggings. "When did you-"

"I'll explain later. But for now, please stay behind me." Mashu stated as she looked forward.

Then the two heard another whistling sound. "Another barrage incoming!"

"I know!" shouted the girl as she held her shield and braced for impact. Then several streams of red light flew through the sky and screamed towards their target which was the onyx cross shield. Then shots hit true and barraged their target creating a large amount of dust clouds from hitting the street around them.

* * *

Far from their location at a radio tower stood a figure with a black bow. The individual had a muscular build and tall stature, wore a black sleeveless shirt with a torn coat and armored pants. He noticed that though his attack hit, it did not kill his intended target or target(s). "Well… Well…" muttered the individual in interest similar to a hunter before he summoned a sword into being. He knocked the weapon onto his bow and it transformed into a spear-like object that charged with red energy.

"FULL CHARGE!" announced an electronic voice while in another location, an individual wrote a letter of light in the air.

The sniper noticed and his eye turned to the sight of an incoming ball of fire. Then he looked up to see a blade flying through the air.

"CLIMAX PART 2!" shouted a person as the flying blade slashed the tower to pieces while the fireball nearly hit the attacker, but he disappeared into air at the last moment. Then the building exploded into a ball of fire, collapsing into scrapmetal. The blade flew back onto the handle of a warrior in red armor and a skin tight black suit. "Damn it! He got away again!" shouted the man as he stomped the ground in anger.

"Doesn't really help when you keep announcing your attack!" shouted a man in a light blue fur coat who observed the warrior complaining with amusement.

"Shut up! Besides, he must still be nearby! So, ikuze! Ikuze!" shouted the man as he ran forward swinging his sword wildly and charging to another location.

The man only smiled and disappeared into air and light particles similar to the attacker with the bow.

* * *

Meanwhile back where Mashu and Aka were attacked, the dust cloud cleared to reveal that the two were unscathed from the barrage of red energy. The ground around them was reduced to a crater and some smaller craters. Mashu stood up along with her shield straightened.

"Looks like he retreated." The lavender-haired girl said with an even tone. "Sempai-" Then she was cut off by the redhead feeling her stomach with an analytical eye. "H-Huh?! What are you doing, sempai?!"

"Checking for injuries." Aka did have a reason for the inspection because Mashu was crushed under a rock, with grievous injuries. Even if she recovered, she shouldn't had been able to walk due to the possibility that her spine was damaged by the rock. But she appeared to be fine from his point of view, her stomach and back were obviously repaired with no sign of scarring. "Odd, there's no scarring or bruises where you were injured. Not only that, but you're wielding that massive shield with ease despite your slim build. In which cases, it's quite a durable one." The redhead stated while standing up before rapping his mechanical right fist on the metal, a clanging noise evident due to their metallic natures. He had seen several shields before, but nothing like the one Mashu wielded. It had the shape of a large cross normally seen in churches with a large circular plate that was centered at the cross's midpoint. "Though ignoring them all, you saved our lives with this shield, Mashu. So thank you." The weaponized soldier smiled a bit in relief that the girl was all right.

"O-Of course! I'm sure you would have done the same for me, sempai." Mashu smiled in response.

Then the redhead gave a confused gaze at the girl with his mind making a lot of red alerts about the girl. "So what's with the design of your armor? It's way too exposed." The armor covered her torso but left her stomach and lower back exposed. Normally, no soldier would even appear on the battlefield with such an outfit.

"My armor? Well…" Mashu tried to come up with an answer before the two heard a scream, causing them to turn and look at the direction it came from. "Master, your commands." The armored girl requested to the male.

The redhead turned to the girl with a puzzled face at the odd request. "Commands? Master? Mashu, this isn't the time for-"

"Listen! Where we are is worse than any battlefield you have ever been on! But you and I will get through this situation together, sempai!" shouted Mashu with a firm tone. "So please let me repeat, what are your commands, master?"

The weaponized soldier gave her words some thought before choosing the right course of action. "Very well, we investigate and assist whoever is in danger over there." Aka instructed with a resolute tone.

"Understood, let us make haste, sempai!" Mashu said before she and Aka ran in the direction of the scream which was further into the broken city known as Fuyuki.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry if I'm leaving it off at just a part 1, I'm still drafting part 2 but please look forward to it.**

 **Edit Update 1/21/2017: After talking with Mr. Fennikisumaru, I decided to edit out Kurogasa with another character based on my older brother. But I plan to make him a main character to this story.**


	3. Chapter 1-2: First Order Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate Series or the Kamen Rider Franchise, but I do own the OC in this Story along with the devices I came up with. But the other OC appearing in this fic belongs to his respective owner.**

 **Chapter 1-2: First Order Part 2**

* * *

Running through the ruined street of Fuyuki was the familiar form of the director of Chaldea, Olga Marie Animusphere. But the question was, why was she running away? Then the sound of constant clacking could be heard, following her. The fires revealed the horrific forms of her pursuers, which were a large number of skeleton soldiers armed with decrepit lances and sword. The soldiers chased after young woman through the street while hissing. The girl tried to keep her pace and speed despite being not the most athletic. Then she tripped and fell to her knees, feeling them scrape along with the palms of her hands. She looked up to see a wall of fire blocking her way, forcing the director to turn around with fear. Then she gritted her teeth and stood her ground before pointing her index finger at the undead squadron. A yellow magic glyph formed around her finger and aimed at the skeletons.

"Stay back!" shouted Olga Marie as her sigil fired a dark red bullet-like projectile at a skeleton soldier and the hit was successful, causing the undead soldier to disintegrate.

Now the situation was 100 or so -1 skeleton soldiers vs. 1 magus. The loss of their comrade did not dissuade the soldiers from killing her, but instead seemingly angered them more. Then the soldiers clattered loudly before charging at the director with their weapons raised high.

Realizing that her attempt at intimidation only provoked the undead soldiers, Olga Marie was forced to aim and fire off more shots of dark bullets at the charging squadron. Each shot managed to take out a soldier, but their numbers did not dwindle at all.

"Why do these kind of things always happens to me?" shouted/complained the director as she continued firing the spells in order to survive and decrease the number of skeleton soldiers. Then she heard the sound of clicking before turning to see a skeleton soldier standing on a streetlight before jumping off to attack the girl. With quick reaction, the director fired a spell bullet at the undead, but it twisted its body to dodge it. Realizing she was about to be killed, the girl screamed out for someone. "Save me, Lev!"

A clang was heard, then Olga Marie opened her eyes upon realizing she was fine. She looked up to the sight of Mashu blocking the attack of the sword wielding skeleton and overpowering its strength. She swung the longer end of her shield and smashed the skeleton to pieces before it disintegrated into light. After killing the undead soldier, the girl quickly charged into to fight the other skeletons.

"Mashu?" The director was dumbfounded by the appearance of the armored girl who was fighting the undead soldiers.

Mashu first took a sword swing head on, before smashing into the attacker, killing it. With quick movements, she ducked and swung the larger-than-her tower shield into another group of skeletons, killing them as well. She went on and killed a couple more skeletons with her shield with grace and ease until something smashed into a group of skeletons behind her, killing a couple while sending others stumbling. The object was revealing to be a bus sign that was recently uprooted.

A foot was heard jumping off a damaged car, then Aka was seen wielding a traffic light above his head before smashing a skeleton with it. He joined in the fight with Mashu swinging the former-safety light with ease and smashed several skeletons to pieces with the makeshift club. He ducked under as swing and used the light to block an attack behind him. He let go of the light lantern and kicked it into the skeleton soldier with incredible impact. Sending the undead along with those behind it into a large piece of debris, killing them all upon impact. "RAAGGHHH!" shouted the redhead as he took out his combat knife and stabbed the skeleton who attacked him earlier through its skull before smashing another to pieces with the sole of his snow boot. After ducking under another slash, he grabbed the hand and kneed the skeleton in the spine before stealing its sword with its skeletal hand still holding it. He swung the weapon in a windmill, causing the remaining skeletons to shatter and disintegrate. Then Mashu smashed last one with her shield, creating a crater. She jumped out of the crater, carrying her shield with no exhaustion in her step.

The armored girl approached her Master who rested the stolen blade on his shoulder and he turned to her. She and Aka nodded to each other before turning to see the director of Chaldea still sitting stunned from their performance in battle. The two ran to her side with a bit of worry on their faces.

"Director, are you hurt?"

"What is going on?" asked the young woman as she stood up after she snapped from her shock.

"This is Singularity F. Fuyuki, 2004. It may be hard to believe, but I…" answered Mashu hesitantly.

"You're a Demi-Servant, right? I can tell just by looking at you. What I want to know is, why it didn't it succeed until now!" stated the director as she stood up.

"I'm sure you know that Chaldea prepared a Servant beforehand in order to resolve the investigation of Singularity F. Right before I died, he offered me a contract: in exchange for giving me the abilities of a Heroic Spirit and Noble Phantasm, he wanted me to eliminate the cause of the Singularity. So I merged with the Servant to become a Demi-Servant." Mashu recalled the memory of the spirit of what appeared to be a knight whose identity was shadowed. Near her was Aka who was unconscious and the mark on his left hand was glowing red.

"And this unknown commoner has become your Master?" Olga Marie turned to Aka before realizing she didn't recognize him. "Wait… who are you?"

Aka quickly responded with a salute and stood straight. "Sir! I am Cybernetically engineered and enhanced Soldier, 00041, designation: Aka!"

"A weaponized soldier? What are you doing in Chaldea?" asked Olga Marie who was not pleased with the information of the redhead teen in front of her being a weaponized soldier since they were known and good for only two things, fighting and killing. She turned to the sight of the embedded bus sign which was used as a makeshift throwing weapon. An obvious sign that the teen in front of her was telling the truth that he was a created soldier.

"I was welcomed by the 48th potential master, Mister Syforce, sir! I also attended the conference today!" shouted the redhead as his voice was raised louder.

Olga Marie grew angrier upon learning the information before turning away with a glare. "That commoner who had the gall to sleep during my lecture? I'll deal with him when this is all over…"

"Um sir… what is a Master?" asked Aka who looked a bit nervous despite his flat expression.

"What?! You came here not knowing what a Master is?" shouted Olga Marie as she turned to face him in disbelief.

"My deepest apologies, sir!" shouted Aka as he stood ramrod straight with a bit of perspiration running down from his forehead. "I was actually dragged into here along with Mashu and Fou! Even before that, my knowledge on what you mention about the term 'Master' is a bit limited, sir!"

"Even though you also attended the conference today?"

The redhead twisted his face into a nervous expression. "I… wasn't awake while you talked, sir. Please excuse me for my poor actions."

Olga Marie gave an exasperated face and palmed her face due to the fact that there was a second fool who slept through her lecture. "*Sigh* I'll let that slide for now… Aka, was it? Can you show me the top of your left hand?"

Aka gave a confused look before silently concluding that the director must know something. "Understood, sir." The redhead took off the black fingerless glove he wore over his left hand. Underneath was a red tattoo which was a coat of arms shield with an R in the center of it. The weaponized soldier widened his eyes in surprise since he never remembered the tattoo. "Huh? I don't remember having this tattoo."

"That is a Command spell, it is proof of your status as a Master. Aka. Since this is an emergency, I will acknowledge your contract with Kyrielite." The redhead looked visibly relieved that he received the director's approval. "But from here on you'll be taking orders from me."

"Yes sir." Aka saluted and his face gave a serious tone.

"And don't salute." The director ordered causing the redhead to relax his arm with his face looking a bit unsure. "…First, we build a base camp, I guess. Next, we'll need to find a leyline terminal with an abundance of mana." Olga Mare cupped her chin while planning their next course of action. "From there we should be able to contact Chaldea. Then, we can figure out what's…"

Mashu walked to Aka's side while sensing something about the ground under the director. "Director, just letting you know... you're standing on a ley line." Mashu pointed out.

"You can tell, Mashu?" asked Aka who was oblivious about the ground their superior was standing on.

"Yes, I can sense it from where the director is standing." Mashu said with a smile.

"But to find it before you had to point it out… your sensory skill is incredible, sir!" Aka praised catching the young woman by surprise.

"Eh? Ah…it seems so. Yes, I knew that all along!" Marie boasted though there was a hint of nervousness since it was by luck that she happened to stand on the Ley line. Then she gestured to the Demi-Servant. "Mashu, put your shield on the ground. I'll need a Noble Phantasm as a catalyst to establish a summoning circle."

"A summoning circle? How is that supposed to help us reconnect to HQ, sir?" asked Aka as he scratched his head with confusion evident on his face. Though magic was still a new concept to him, the redhead didn't understand how it could allow them to connect to Chaldea where it was in another period of time.

The director smirked internally as she confidently stated to the redhead, "You'll see soon enough… Mashu?"

"Understood. Here." The armored girl placed the massive cross shield onto where Olga Marie stood. Then the director raised her hand which glowed blue and soon a reaction took place as the shield also glowed blue. Then a magic sigil formed over the shield much to the amazement of Aka and Mashu. "This…is exactly the same as the summoning test site in Chaldea…" Then the director rolled up her sleeve and pressed on the device to connect to the control room of Chaldea.

Then the circle flashed to form a pillar that became a visual screen to reveal the face of Roman sitting at a console and Yule leaning over near him.

"I finally got through! Hello, can you hear me?" asked the Doctor with worry.

"Doctor Archaman! Mister Syforce!" Aka looked surprised at their appearances, but he was relieved that they were fine.

"Aka! Mashu! You two are all right! Thank goodness…" Yule said with relief.

Roman showed a concerned face. "So you two did get caught in that Rayshift. Without being in a coffin, you had to withstand it while conscious…"

"Why have you taken control, Romani? And why is that substitute commoner with you?" Olga Marie asked with a stern tone since she wasn't expecting the head doctor of Chaldea at the controls. Much less that normal civilian who dared sleep during her lecture.

"D-Director! You're alive?!" Roman was surprised that she was still fine, despite all the damage and destruction done to the Central control room containing Chaldeas. Meanwhile, Yule just ignored the comment though he had a disgruntled face.

"What are you talking about? Why is the head of the medical section in that chair? Where is Lev?" demanded the director whose patience was thinning.

"…Professor Lev was right in the middle of that explosion that took place in the central control room." Roman reported with a regretful expression. "I can't see any hope of his survival."

"No…" Olga Marie was shocked at the loss of the man while looking ready to cry.

"Was there something between Professor Lev and the director?" whispered a concerned Aka who noticed her obvious reaction.

"From what I know, Sempai, Professor Lev helped the director with a lot of things in Chaldea, so she looks to him for support." Mashu whispered back.

"I see… So he must have been someone very important to her." Aka muttered as he remembered the painful faces of some soldiers who cried at the loss of friends or family or both. He also remembered a certain man who spared him and gave him a reason to live, only to leave him one day in a flash of light.

"The reason I have been entrusted with the operational command is because there isn't anyone left who outranks me."

"And we're down on a lot of people! About most of the staff had been taken out by the bombing!" stated Yule with a pained look, seeing the number of dead bodies and human remains nearly made him throw up.

"What about the master potentials? What happened to the 47 people who were in the Coffins?!" asked Olga Marie with a distressed look.

"All of them are in critical condition."

Aka gave a knowing expression since he had seen similar life signs with normal soldiers wounded in combat. "And given the amount of time has passed, they'll…"

"Don't be foolish!" shouted Olga Marie, surprising the people present. Then she more her arm forward as a gesture of direction. "Transfer them to cryopreservation immediately! Our top priority is to ensure their survival!"

The doctor understood what she meant, since that would keep them alive even in their heavily wounded conditions. "I do it immediately! Yule! Help me gather as many people as possible!" shouted Roman as he got out of the chair and ran off.

"Got it!" The silver-haired young man ran off with the doctor.

After watching that, Mashu turned to Olga Marie with worry since that her order could be considered criminal. "Director… You do realize that-"

"As long as they don't die, this can be justified later. I can't possibly carry the burden of 47 lives on my back." The girl said as she bit her nail in frustration.

Aka gave a concerned look and furrowed his brows before stating the reality of the situation to the leader of Chaldea. "Sir, that is the sort of risk any leader has to carry. Besides, the number of people in this operation… Just losing one or two is a possibility. I was lucky to have Mashu at my side when someone attacked us with some sort of artillery." Aka pointed out.

"Sempai…" Mashu turned to the redhead whose face was firm and even when he said his words.

Olga Marie grabbed his collar and shoved the former soldier into the side of a wrecked car. "Don't talk like that! Lives are precious, so don't treat them like some statistic on paper!"

"…Stating that is what a true leader should say and believe, sir." Aka said calmly with a relaxed face.

"Huh?" Olga Marie was stunned by his word causing her to let go of him.

"I apologize for my words, sir." Aka stood straight while giving a bow to her. "But I needed to see if you are a leader who truly cares about the lives under her." Aka stated as he walked past his superior. "Try to be strong, Director. I will set up a perimeter around here while Doctor Archaman and Mister Syforce work. There's no telling if whoever attacked Mashu and me will attack us again. Mashu, protect the director here." The redhead tore the uprooted bus sign from its place and rested it on his shoulder.

"But sempai, no matter how skilled and strong you are, you can't handle a Servant!" shouted Mashu. "So I must…"

The redhead gave a stern look at the girl causing her stop in place, though he relaxed it. He smiled a bit and tried to reassure her. "Look, it's not an absolute order. But the director's life is more important than a washed out weaponized soldier." Then the redhead walked further away.

"Sempai…"

"Don't worry, I know when a fight is too much for me. As my father once said, 'Retreating from battle isn't cowardice, it's a wish to live.' Besides, I'm only setting up a perimeter, so I'll be back soon." He said before running off into a distance.

"Sempai, wait!" shouted Mashu but her words were ignored as he continued to run off with Fou watching as well before it decided to join him by running and jumping onto his shoulder.

Olga Marie gave a contemplating look before she folded her arms and sighed. "That idiot… Can't he see that he's important to Chaldea's goals?" She turned to the girl with the shied. "Mashu, if you sense a servant nearby, do not hesitate to leave me to protect him."

"Director…" Mashu said with surprise evident on her face. The director was not one to take risky chances, much less put her life at risk for others.

"Even if it's by chance he became a Master, I rather not lose our only hope in ending this anomaly." Olga Marie stated while turning around.

Mashu gave a surprised look before nodding with a smile in confirmation. "Understood!"

* * *

Back at where Aka was, he walked through the desolate street of Fuyuki while carrying the stolen sword and the uprooted bus sign. Being unfamiliar with his whereabouts, the redhead left markings by smashing noticeable parts which each turn he made. Fou sat on his shoulder with a bored look on its face before it turned towards a certain direction with a glare.

"Fou? What is the matter?" asked the redhead with a confused look

Then he heard something loud coming near him before feeling a tremor from where he stood. The weaponized soldier made an alarmed look when he felt the source was coming from one of the buildings. He quickly jumped a far distance from where he stood as the building from his left side exploded outwards due a very large body smashing through it.

The redhead prepared his weapons and held them in front of him to fight whatever came out. "What the?" But what he saw was not what he expected.

* * *

Back at where Mashu and Olga Marie stood, they listened to Roman and Yule after they returned with some news.

"… And that is my report. Currently, Chaldea has lost 80% of all functions. Once communication with the outside are restored, I'll request supplies and start reconstructing Chaldea. That's our current status." Roman reported as the control room was being repaired by the remaining technical employees.

"Fine, Romani Archaman. I'm not happy about it, but until I get back, you're in charge of Chaldea." The director instructed.

"Roger, but still… a Demi-Servant, a fusion of a Heroic Spirit and a human… I can't believe it succeeded at a time like this. And the Master is also a weaponized sold- Wait, where is Aka?!"

"That soldier? He left us to make a perimeter around here. But I'll give him credit if he's smart enough to run." The director scoffed.

Yule made a worried expression upon learning the redhead's whereabouts. That only meant one thing... "Wait, you let Aka go off?! Find a way to get him back here! Whenever he goes off to place a perimeter, trouble will find him!"

"What sort of nonsense are you spouting, commoner?" Olga Marie stated while Mashu made an alarmed look before turning in the direction of whatever she sensed. Then a loud crash was heard near them. "Huh?"

The two turned around and saw an odd sight of what appeared to be another undead warrior except it was wearing an orange trimmed jacket with a light eye pattern glowing on its chest, followed by it hooded face glowing with two eerie black, almost alien eyes. The ghost-like warrior had a black mist following it and it was staring at the two Chaldea members. Near the ghost soldier, there was a pile of rubble and junk knocked over.

Olga Marie realized the danger and turned to Mashu with an order. "Mashu! Take it down! But be careful!"

"Understood!" shouted the girl before she charged the warrior with her shield at the ready to attack the undead warrior. Then she jumped and prepared to smash the long end of her shield into him.

But what she didn't expect was the undead to start talking.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! I'm not here to fight!" shouted the warrior in a male voice with his hands raised in a surrendering and panicking fashion.

"Huh?!" Mashu wondered before she let gravity take her and the ghost warrior had to jump out of the way as a rock was pulverized behind him. He rolled on the ground before standing on his feet while raising his hands again to show that he didn't want to fight.

"Wait for a moment, and let me talk!" shouted the warrior.

Then Mashu placed her shield in front of her while looking suspicious of the suddenly talking undead. "Aren't you here to kill us?"

"Kill you!? Of course not!" responded the warrior as he still had his hands up. "I'm only here to talk to you since you two are the only other humans I met in this city!"

"Human? You don't seem like one." Mashu stated while sizing up the ghost-like warrior who still had an eerie darkness and his mask glowed a bit due to the dark.

"Oh, you have a good point. I forgot how this form usually scares people. Hold on." Then the warrior moved to an odd looking belt on his waist before opening its lid and taking out an eye-like sphere. Then he closed the lid as the belt announced.

"OYASUMI!"

Then the ghost-like warrior glowed before his form dispersed to reveal a young man with short light brown hair wearing a kimono with a hood and tight looking black pants. He gave a friendly smile to the girl in front him. "See? Human." He tried to walk forward only for the girl to point her shield at him. "Eh?"

"What are you? To shift between that ghost form and human means that you really aren't an ordinary human." asked Mashu who did not expect the warrior to transform into a human form. This only made her more suspicious of the person in front of her.

The young man raised his hands in surrender while sighing that he didn't make any progress. "I'm actually human! Please, believe me!"

Meanwhile, Olga Marie and Roman were stunned by the new information about the warrior while observing the exchange between the two.

"What in the world? What is that guy?" wondered Roman.

"He's obviously not human if he could transform into human form so easily." Olga Marie said with an unamused look.

Yule squinted his eyes with interest as if trying to remember what made him believe the young man's words. Then he laid his eyes on the bulky belt buckle before widening his eyes in realization about what the young man was. How could he miss it? The sudden belt announcement should had given his identity away. "Actually, I think he's a-"

Then Mashu gave a surprised gasp before turning in a direction before a crash of wood splintering and stone smashed apart, finally with the roar of some sort of beast.

"What was that?" wondered the male as he also turned in the direction of the sounds that continued to take place.

Suddenly alarms went off from where Roman and Yule were before the doctor typed into the console to analyze what was going on. After typing in the commands, Roman made a disturbed face. "You three, get out there right now!" shouted the doctor.

Then in front of the young man and Mashu, a building's door was smashed through by the two bodies. Then the two bodies revealed to be Aka with just the bus sign equipped, but the person who landed with him was an oddly dressed warrior in a neon pink bodysuit with a neon green belt buckle along with strange looking white hammer with a green head.

"Sempai!" shouted Mashu.

"Ex-Aid!" shouted the young man then a roar was heard.

Loud footsteps could be heard followed by the building in front of them was smashed apart by a large goliath with dark skin and red markings. The massive and heavily muscular man stood heads tall of the two and roared with anger before attacking with his weapon which appeared to be a stone slab. The two quickly split up to dodge the attack, Aka charged forward to smash the goliath with his makeshift weapon while his unknown helped jumped high to smash the muscular man with his hammer. But the goliath quickly reacted by smacking the pink warrior with the blunt end of his weapon into a building while swinging his left fist at Aka, who forced to block the blow with the sign. Upon taking the hit, Aka was thrown back and crashed into a car, coughing up a blood.

"Master!" shouted Mashu before she jumped a large distance and placed herself between the goliath and her master. The massive man swung his stone slab sword into her shield and Mashu held her ground, causing dust to erupt around them. He entered a continuous barrage of sword smashes to break her guard, forcing the armored girl to hold her defense. Though the Demi-Servant felt she couldn't hold her guard any longer, she knew that if she got out of the way then Aka would be in danger.

Realizing that the two need help, the young man took out the white and black sphere and pressed in the left side of it with his right thumb. Then he opened the lid of his belt before inserting the sphere into the belt buckle. After closing it, an new announcement was made.

"EYE! BATCHIRIMINĀ!" Then a black mist formed from the belt before a ghost-like jacket came out, the same jacket that the young man was wearing earlier in his ghost warrior form.

Then then young man pulled on the lever located at his right-hand side before he held his hands in front of his chest with his index and middle fingers out representing his calm mind and clarity before he shouted, "Henshin!" Then he pushed in the lever.

"KAIGAN: ORE! LET'S GO! KAKUGO! GHO-GHO-GHO-GHOST! GO! GO! GO! GO!" Then black mist covered the young man before he was armored in black armor with clear-plastic-like parts on his body covering a dimly lit eye symbol on his chest. His mask was featureless and a black back plate. Then the armored young man was slouched forward as the jacket ghost put itself onto his armored form before the mask lit up with an orange glow and black eyes and a blue horn. Then ghost warrior took off his hood, and he charged forward as a double edged sword materialized in his right hand.

Back at Mashu's side, she held her shield but felt her grip on her shield was slipping and soon the goliath will break her guard. Then the ghost warrior jumped in and deflected the attack from the goliath by swinging his blade into the stone slab. With a quick swing up, the warrior slashed across the man's chest, causing blood to spill from the cut. But then the cut healed extremely quickly, much to the warrior's surprise.

"What?! He healed from that?!" Then the ghost warrior was grabbed by the goliath's large hand, and he was being crushed to death by him.

Suddenly, a bus sign smashed into the goliath's face, making him stumble for a bit. Seeing her chance, Mashu took her shield and smashed into the massive man with a body blow, sending him into an abandoned building and forcing him to let go of his victim.

"Are you all right?" asked Mashu as she turned to check on the ghost warrior who was on the ground.

"Ugh... Fine. I never imagined getting nearly crushed by a large man though." The warrior coughed though he was fine and he stood up.

"Tch, bastard hits harder than a charging steam train." Aka stated as he wiped his lip of blood while standing tall.

"Sempai, you're fine!" shouted Mashu who was relieved that he didn't die on impact from the punch.

"Yeah, but focus! That bastard is not down for the count!" warned the former soldier with caution still present in his narrowed eyes. "Though he is a strange one, I stabbed him in the heart with my sword and he's still standing strong."

"That's because he's a Servant, Sempai. You can't kill them that easily. And from how he acted…" As she spoke the behemoth now identified as a Servant was slowly standing up before roaring at his targets. "He's a Berserker Class."

"Berserker? I'm not really familiar with the term. Either way, he's coming!" warned Aka. The ghost warrior got back onto his feet while Mashu readied her shield. The three braced for impact as the Giant jumped from where he landed with his weapon raised behind his head. Then he was struck from the air back a rocket-like projectile and sent crashing into another building.

The projectile was revealed to be a flying mechanical fist propelled by a rocket thruster. The flying fist returned to its wielder which was revealed to be the pink warrior now wearing addition red chest plating along with his mask gained a red plating along with a golden V crest.

"Direct hit!" cheered the pink warrior as the mechanical fist attached to his left arm.

"Mashu! Hit him while he's down!" ordered Aka.

"Understood!" Mashu jumped a high distance with her shield raised above her head.

"Yosh! Let me help!" Then the ghost warrior pulled and pushed in the lever with another announcement taking place.

"DAI KAIGAN: ORE OMEGA DRIVE!" Then the warrior held his hands into a triangle shape as a light projection of a large eye. Then he jumped into the air with the eye symbol.

Mashu let gravity take effect and swung the long end of her shield down into the goliath's head, shattering concrete and kicking up dust. Then the ghost warrior aimed his right foot towards the top end of her shield and smashed into it with an orange explosion of light, creating a bigger crater and crushing the giant's head. The Demi-Servant and the warrior jumped back as the goliath slowly raised his massive hand, but suddenly the hand fell, signaling that the massive man finally defeated. Then his body slowly disappeared into a purple light till there was no trace of him.

"He disappeared without a trace? Is that how Servants die?" wondered Aka aloud.

"Yes and no, Sempai. Berserker merely returned to the Throne of Heroes, a realm where all Heroic Spirits rest."

"I see…"

"Besides that, are you all right? You took a hit from one of the strongest Servants."

Aka rolled his arm a bit to test for any injuries or inconveniences. "It seems my left arm is fine."

"That isn't what I meant..." Mashu said.

"The Throne of Heroes?" wondered the ghost warrior as he took out another sphere like his original one, but it appeared grayed out. "Could that be where everyone disappeared to?"

"Phew, that was a close one!" shouted the unknown pink warrior before he jogged to the Master and Servant pair and the warrior. "Hey! Are you two all right?"

"Thank you for the assistance. Um… who are you?" asked Mashu who did not recognize the man.

"Oh, right. I'm Kamen Rider Ex-Aid! A hero from the future!" stated the warrior now identifying himself as Ex-Aid while flicking his hand. "And this is my friend, Kamen Rider Ghost. He also comes from the future!"

"…" Mashu gave a flat look at what she thought was a gaudy person in odd armor before turning to the ghost warrior who waved. She turned to Aka who had a similar expression. "Sempai, where did you pick up this person?"

"Eh?"

"Well… I first found him when that giant came through a building while I was setting up the perimeter." Aka recalled at the odd sight of Ex-Aid holding for dear life with his arms wrapped around the head of Berserker. "He had his arms wrapped around the Servant's head and he screamed while the goliath tried to shake him off. I managed to help him at the cost of my sword. But his armor is a strange sight along with Ghost's." The redhead never met anyone with such a colorful armor set, even the custom made armors of some of the weaponized soldiers he met never had such colors, though it was because that made them too bid of a target.

"Indeed, and they definitely are not Servants." Mashu stated before they turned back to them with suspicious looks.

The pink armored warrior known as Ex-Aid felt a bit nervous upon realizing the pair don't trust him. "H-Hey! Quit it with the staring!"

"Aw, come on! Didn't we just establish that we're not enemies?" complained Ghost as he sighed into a crouch.

"Mashu! Aka! Bring those two over here!" ordered Olga Marie, who stood near the communication hologram showing Yule and Roman. She seemed fine despite the amount of tremors and dust clouds that were caused by the earlier scuffle.

"Understood!" responded the two before Aka grabbed Ex-Aid by moving his arm behind his back and pushed him towards her. Meanwhile, Mashu lifted Ghost up by the back of his jacket and walked forward as his feet dangled from the ground.

"H-Hey! Ouch! Quit it with the pushing!" shouted Ex-Aid in pain.

"Whoa! You're surprisingly strong." Ghost commented as he was being held.

Then the two were unceremoniously dropped in front of the director who had her arms folded.

"You called yourself, Ex-Aid and Ghost, correct? Do you know where we are?" asked the director.

"We're in some place called Fuyuki, right? Though… this is the first time, I went into the past…" Ex-Aid said as he scratched his head.

"Wait, you also traveled into the past? But why?" asked Olga Marie though she did looked doubtful of his story.

The warrior's eyes made a sad expression as he looked down. "*Sigh* Because where we came from… our present was destroyed…"

"He's not wrong... One moment we were fighting a large group of monsters, then the next... the world was bathed in fire." Ghost supported his friend's story.

Mashu gave a shocked look along the director and doctor after learning this information.

"What was the date you came from?" demanded Olga Marie who needed to be sure they were telling the truth.

"December 2016." Ex-Aid answered as he sat, still sad about his time's destruction along with Ghost.

"The predicted time frame!" shouted Roman.

"That means… they really are from the future…" said Yule. "Though it is unsurprising to see them here since they are Kamen Riders."

"Huh? Wait Mister Syforce, you know about Ex-Aid's and Ghost's origins?" asked Aka with a curious look.

"Of course. Kamen Riders are actually a famous group of warriors who have been dealing with several crises back in Japan and some parts of the world. They are more or less the more public group of supernatural experts." Yule said with a smile.

"He's not wrong there, director. Hasn't the Mage's Association been having trouble keeping up with the oddly large number incidents involving Japan and the world?" asked Roman who remembered reading several reports of incidents from Zawame City to the mysterious appearance of the beetle-like warrior.

"Though the most recent Kamen Rider should have been that police detective, what was his name…?" wondered Yule since he remembered watching a news report about the identity of the police Kamen Rider.

"Oh, you must mean Tomari-san!" Ghost said with a smile under his mask. He had been in contact with the Kamen Rider ever since their last team up.

"Focus on the topic at hand, commoners. If these… Riders are to be believed, then we may have a clue at who destroyed the future of Humanity." The director stated with an authoritative tone.

"Um… before you can continue questioning us, can you at least tell me who you people are?" asked Ex-Aid with curiosity as he stood up with his friend.

"He does have a point, Director." Roman stated. "We can't have our new friends be mistrusting of us."

"*Sigh* True. I am Olgamally Animusphere, Director of Chaldea. The cybernetic soldier with the red hair is Aka, our first Master. The girl in armor is Mashu Kyrielite, a Demi-Servant. The useless-looking man at the console behind me is our head of medicine, Doctor Romani Archaman. And the commoner is the 48th master potential."

"Hey! At least say my name!" shouted Yule who did not like the introduction she made of him. "And my name is Yule Syforce Lumiventus, nice to meet you, Ex-Aid and Ghost."

"So mind telling us who you are? We know your titles, but you must have actual names." Olga Marie asked while expecting the armored men in front of them reveal their identities.

"Of course!" Then Ex-Aid pulled the pink handle on his belt to cover the screen which had an electronic picture of him, before he also pulled out two cartridges from the left side of his belt. Then Ghost followed his lead and took out the sphere once more.

Next, the belt announced, "CLICK TO SAVE!" followed by Ghost's belt, "OYASUMI!" Then the game-based armor disintegrated to reveal the form of a young man with tame black hair wearing a doctor's jacket with an odd-looking stethoscope hanging around his neck. His clothes underneath consisted of a yellow shirt with black work pants and a name tag with his ID.

"My name is Emu Hojo, a trainee in pediatrics working at Seito University Hospital! I'm pleased to meet you all!" Then the young man bowed to them in respect.

"Takeru Tenkuji, a ghost hunter of the Daitenku Temple! I'm also pleased to meet you all!" The younger man said with a smile and also with a quicker bow. Unnoticed by the group, Roman and Olga Marie's eyes widened in response to his last name.

"A doctor trainee? And that armor… are you even human?" asked Roman who was a bit stunned at who the young man was.

"Of course I am! This belt and this Gashat are what help me transform!" Emu stated while gesturing to his belt and the pink cartridge he held in his right hand. The cartridge was titled: Might Action X.

"A game-based Kamen Rider who is also a doctor? That's an unexpected combo." Yule commented.

"I know, but he's going to be a good doctor! Without him, I would have died." Takeru said with smile.

"That's because you were too reckless with that attack!" Emu gave his friend a nonchalant slap on the shoulder.

"Ahem." Olga Marie coughed into her hand which caused the two to shut up and pay attention to her. "Back to the topic at hand, Emu Hojo, will you lend us your power in dealing with the disturbance in time and future endeavors?"

"Of course, Director! If there is a way to save my present and humanity's future, I will do what I can to help!" said Emu with a smile and a bow to the group.

"He's quite the eager one…" Roman commented with a smile.

"And you, Takeru Tenkuji, was it? Is your father, Ryu Tenkuji?" asked the director as a faint memory of an older man who looked similar to Takeru. The young man in front of her actually shared his friendly smile.

The young man was surprised at the young woman who seemed to be around his age named his father. He wondered how she knew about him so he decided to respond. "Yes, he's my father."

"So he really is the second founder's son..." Roman muttered though he smiled because fate had allowed them to meet.

"I see... Then will you help me as your father helped mines?" asked Olga Marie.

"Eh? My father helped yours?" asked Takeru with surprise though he did hear from Onari, his caretaker, that his father did some other works with different associates from all over the world before he settled at the temple one day, probably after marrying his mother.

Olga Marie nodded. "Yes, without him then Chaldeas' time travel theory would have been delayed and we wouldn't have met you here. So will you lend me, no, us a hand in this crisis?" She offered her hand to him.

Takeru gave her offer some thought before he smiled and nodded. "Of course, the future is still burning bright! We'll save it!" Then he shook her hand with his bright smile still present.

The smile seemed to lift everyone's spirits and Mashu gave a smile before realizing something missing. "That's right! Where's Fou, sempai?"

"Now that you mention it…" Aka also realized that he lost track of the creature during his fight with Berserker.

"Fou!" The white-furred creature appeared from behind a wrecked car and jumped onto Emu's shoulder.

"Huh?! What the?" wondered Emu as the creature climbed onto the top of his shoulder before jumping towards Aka, landing on his head. Then it traveled off of his head and landed on his right shoulder. "W-What sort of animal is that?"

"This is Fou, Emu-san." Mashu said as she petted its head.

"Fou?" Emu wondered before he approached to look at the furred creature.

"Is it some sort of Youkai?" wondered Takeru though the creature snorted in anger at his assumption. "Uh sorry, I guess you aren't one, Fou-san." The young man smiled and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Meanwhile, the director was turned to Roman and Yule after deciding their next course of action. "Well then, starting now, both Aka, Mashu Kyrielite, Emu Hojo, and Takeru Tenkuji will begin investigation on Singularity F." Olga Marie said before turning to the four who gave determined looks upon noticing her attention was on them. "Although this team consists of inexperienced members, the mission will be to discover the source of this singularity's existence."

"I wish you luck, if an emergency comes up, please contact me." Roman said.

"Hmph! We can send an SOS, but nobody will come save us."

"But Director-" Then Olga Marie cut the signal off, interrupting the doctor's protest.

"Director, are you sure about this? We could wait here for help instead." Mashu said.

"But Mashu, the Director has a point. What sort of help can we hope to get after the bombing?" Aka stated with a logical point.

"Bombing?" asked Emu with a confused expression.

"That's right, you don't know what happened back at Chaldea." Mashu said. "The team that was supposed to be on this mission got caught in a bombing. It left most of them in critical condition, leaving just me and sempai."

"That same bombing has also reduced the staff in Chaldea." Aka said.

"That's horrible." Takeru said with a sad tone.

"But there is more to that, you four. After this incident, I can imagine how much protest we'll get from the Association. We can't go home empty-handed. Understand?" asked Olga Marie.

"Roger!" responded Mashu.

"Understood, sir!" Aka said with a confirmed nod.

"R-Roger!" shouted Emu with a nervous tone as he stood awkwardly straight.

"Got it!" Takeru nodded with an affirmed tone.

"*Sigh* I never the day would come when I'd have to rely on a commoner. Much less a common foot soldier." Olga Marie did not like the circumstances at hand. Then the five heard a beeping sound and the director rolled up her wrist to reactivate her connection to Chaldea. "What is it? Can't you see how annoying-"

"Please get away from there right now!" shouted Roman.

Aka and Mashu gave alarmed looks before the redhead heard the sound of chains at a long distance with the sound coming closer. Mashu also sensed the danger and turned around with an alarmed look. "I'm detecting signs of an enemy! This is… a Servant!"

"Servant?" asked Emu.

"And it appears they're getting closer! Sir, we have to move now! Mister Hojo, Mister Tenkuji, transform and move!"

"Uh, right!" Emu took out his cartridge and pressed the button on it causing a screen titled _Mighty Action X_ behind him to form, and the area around them received a digitized analyzation.

"MIGHTY ACTION X!"

Then thousands of blocks were summoned forth from the screen and scattered throughout the area around them. A wind blew as the doctor smiled with eagerness. "Let's do this!" shouted the Rider as he made motions and turned his upper body back with the cartridge in his hand.

Meanwhile, Takeru took out his sphere once more and indented it into the sphere causing its iris to change into a letter which was G. Then he placed the sphere into the open belt before pulling the orange lever, causing the jacket ghost to form.

" **Henshin**!" shouted Emu and Takeru. Then the medical intern passed the cartridge into his left hand then inserting it into the slot closest to the center of his belt. At the same time, the ghost hunter pushed in the lever on his right side causing the armor to form over his body along with a black mist.

"KAIGAN: ORE! LET'S GO! KAKUGO! GHO-GHO-GHO-GHOST! GO! GO! GO! GO!" As the announcement took place, the armored young man slouched forward as the jacket ghost put itself onto his armored form before the mask lit up with an orange glow and black eyes and a blue horn.

"GASHAT! LET'S GAME! METCHA GAME! MUTCHA GAME! WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!" As the belt announced, Emu tapped on a screen with the face of his Rider form. The screen flipped forward and expanded before placing itself onto his face and changing his very body. "I'M A KAMEN RIDER!" A white and black-striped armored glove, a white and black-striped armored boots, and his face helmet formed from the light. But what the group did not expect was that this form was something akin to a super deformed state from what they saw the Rider earlier as.

"Eh? What's with that form?! That isn't what we saw you before!" shouted Olga Marie.

"Now's not the time for that, Sir! We need to leave! Mister Tenkuji!" shouted Aka.

"Got it! Now, excuse me." Ghost said before he quickly lifted the director into a princess carry before jumping into the air in order to fly above the debris. Then Ex-aid followed him by jumping onto one of the brown brick-like blocks around them. Aka and Mashu followed suit and ran at incredible speed away from their area with the Kamen Riders following them.

* * *

"Mashu, can you tell me why is there other Servants besides you and Berserker?" asked Aka as he jumped over a car with Mashu following his pace.

"It's a Holy Grail War!" responded the Mashu as she jumped over a piece of debris.

"A Holy Grail War?" Ex-Aid repeated the armored girl's words as he ran near them at the same speed before jumping over an obstacle. "Is that some sort of big secret war?"

"Yes! It's been confirmed that in 2004, a special ritual called the 'Holy Grail War' took place in this city. A Holy Grail is a magic vessel that contains the foundation of all forms of magic." Mashu explained further as they ran.

Aka gave a perplexed face before asking the girl. "As in…?"

"It grants wishes." Mashu simplified.

"Wishes? Wow, I can almost imagine the number of games I can wish for…" Ex-Aid though aloud while imagining the number of games titles he could get for free.

"Is that what you see it as?! With the Holy Grail, you can have any wish you want!" shouted Olga Marie who angrily admonished the super deformed Rider's idiotic wish.

"Wishes, huh? I'm not really interested, but it seems like others would." Aka said while sliding under a low hanging debris.

"You're not wrong, wishes can drive people, and a wish granting machine sounds too good to pass up." Ghost said since he had experienced such an incident before.

"Correct, Sempai and Ghost-san. Magi in the city of Fuyuki completed a Holy Grail, and summoned Seven Heroic Spirits to activate it. These Spirits are placed into seven Servant classes: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Rider, Assasssin, and Berserker. The seven magi contracted to these Servants become Masters. Then they battle it out, and in the end the survivor obtained the Holy Grail."

"A battle royale for a wish? That kind of reminds me of the conflict that one of my sempai got involved in during his time as a Kamen Rider." Ex-Aid commented as he descended from a block before running by the Master and Demi-Servant. "So which class are you, Mashu-san?"

"None!" Mashu said before she used her shield to smash through a blockade of wrecked cars. "In truth, I have no idea which kind of class am I." She shouted over the smashing before the group was clear of the cars.

"So who won the Holy Grail War?" asked Aka as he continued running before he jumped forward and kicked a street sign, breaking it from the cement. The former soldier grabbed it and carried it on his shoulder.

"The conclusion wasn't recorded. We are not sure if the ritual succeeded or failed. Whatever did happen, the existence of the Servants ended without anyone knowing about them." Mashu said as the group reached a stone path with a railing nearby a river that was commonly used by people for walks, but the place was deserted with the river having a color of red dark as blood.

"Then why-"

"Fou! Fou!" shouted Fou causing the group to stop as they stopped in front of a large amount of chains that bind between two lampposts.

"What the?" Ex-Aid said as he landed in front of the group and approached the chains.

"What are those?" asked Ghost as he landed on the ground before allowing Olga to stand.

"Chains?" wondered Aka as he also joined the Kamen Rider in examining them. Then he moved his right hand to touch them.

"Stop! Don't touch them!" warned Olga Marie with a serious face.

"Huh?" wondered Ex-Aid as he turned around while Aka kept his eye on the chains before they suddenly moved to attack.

"Get back!" shouted Aka as he pushed the Kamen Rider backwards before he jumped back and smacked the chain near him away with the street sign. The two landed back where Mashu and Olga Marie stood.

"Master!"

"I'm fine, though…" Aka looked to where the sign touched the chain and saw that small part had been turned to stone. "What's up with these chains?"

Ghost also examined the sign, specifically the stone area. "A part of it turned to stone?"

"Too bad. The fresh prey got away." A woman's voice said with a sadistic tone. Then a swirl of purple light formed to reveal the form of a hooded and endowed woman with purple hair in a black cloak. In her hands was a staff with a crescent moon blade on it. "An unknown Servant and an unknown Master. Along with two warriors in strange armor. How young and how fresh…" She said with a gleeful smile as her snake-like, yellow eyes stared at them.

"A Servant! Though I don't see her Master…"

"I doubt it. She was the only person following us." Aka stated with caution as he wielded his makeshift weapon at the ready.

"This world in the time anomaly has already gone mad. A Servant without a Master doesn't surprise me." Olga Marie said as she pointed her finger in at the unknown Servant.

"But which Heroic Spirit is she?" wondered Ghost.

The woman walked forward and the group now noticed that around her were stone statues of people. She leaned on one who had a scared face and scratched her clawed left hand across his face.

Aka gave a suspicious glare before staring at the stone part of the metal sign then realizing what the statues were. "Those are…"

"…former humans." Olga Marie finished evidently reaching the same conclusion. "Looks like that Servant can turn them to stone." The statues were wrapped in chains, the same chains that nearly touched Aka and Ex-Aid.

"Wait, if she can turn people to stone then that means… She's Medusa!" shouted Ex-Aid.

"The gorgon whose stare can turn people in stone..." Ghost said, remember reading about her battle with Perseus who slayed her.

"Oh? So you already discerned my identity." The woman known as Medusa said with an unsurprised tone.

"Those people have no place on the battlefield. Why turn them to stone?" asked Aka who did not understand the woman's intentions.

"Why, you ask? When you wander into my hunting ground, I'm free to treat you however I please, am I not?" Then she turned to the statue before tearing the head off, causing blood to spill upwards from the statue. The blood stained her hood and she smiled at killing the statue.

Everyone present was put off by her action, wavering a bit in her presence. But they stood strong as the wrong move could mean their deaths.

"Do not worry, I've lost one statue, but now I'm going to have five new ones." Medusa said as she licked off the blood.

"Our only option is to fight." Mashu stated.

"I can work with that." Aka said with his stance ready to strike.

"Can you take her?" asked Olga Marie.

"Yes."

"Ex-Aid, Ghost, get ready just in case." The director instructed.

"Got it." Then a ring of energy formed around Ex-Aid before forming into a weapon.

"GASHACON BREAKER!" An announcement said as the Kamen Rider grabbed the weapon from the air.

"We'll clear this with No Continues!" proclaimed Ex-Aid with a flick of his hand.

"Understood!" Then Ghost summoned his sword into his hand.

Mashu stood at the front and slowly approached the Servant who looked unthreatened by her presence even with the help.

"Oh, how bold. How fresh. Is this your first time fighting as a Servant?" asked the woman though her face evidently showed she could tell from Mashu's body movements that she was a beginner in battle.

"Technically, it's her third time." Aka responded bluntly.

"*Chuckle* Then, as your sempai, I'll teach you." Medusa swung her weapon a bit before readying herself to fight. "Be careful of what you say and do. For once the word 'fight' passes through your lips, it has already be-"

Suddenly, Aka charged right in with the street reeled back to hit the Servant. With quick reflexes, Medusa raised her bladed staff to block his attack, but she did not expect the amount of force he placed into the swing, sending her back, skidding, creating a dust trail. The woman did not want to back down and she prepared to charge forward until she saw Aka had once more charged at her with his weapon ready to attack. The Servant stood at the defensive before swing her staff to deflect and block each strike he made. A flash of metal collided and the two swung, block, and struck into a pattern of attempting to hit the other.

"My, you're quite reckless. I never expected a Master to fight his Servant's battles. What made you charge in with the first strike?" asked Medusa after she dodged a swing from Aka and jumped back. This boy was different... more powerful than any regular human, but... weaker than a servant.

"Simple, you said 'Fight' so I attacked." Aka said with a calm tone as they clashed weapons. During the exchange, his eyes didn't blink as he was taught to never blink in a fight, otherwise the he would miss the next move.

"True. But, you should've picked a better weapon!" Medusa broke the power struggle and made a heavy swing to his right ribs and the redhead blocked the blow with his makeshift weapon. But the attack caused the sign to bend in and the weaponized soldier took a hit in the ribs, send his stance in a bit of a stumble. Medusa retracted her weapon and aimed for his neck. "Die!"

"Mashu." Aka said then the Demi-Servant charged in and slammed her shield into Medusa's side, sending her off balance.

"What?!" Medusa shouted before realizing she had completely forgotten about the girl before Ex-Aid charged in with his hammer and smashed it into her abdomen. The Servant flew back a bit before landing on her feet with gritted teeth.

"Master, are you all right?"

"Fine, luckily she only hit my right side." Aka said while rapping the side he was hit where metallic clinks could be heard. "Get ready, I doubt that surprise attack left a lasting blow."

"You came up with such a tactic in seconds? You're desperate, excellent." Then Medusa charged in with her weapon and swung into Mashu's shield, forcing her to hold her ground. Then she changed to the blunt end of the weapon and stabbed forward into the shield, causing sparks to fly. "But be careful. My lance is the Lance of Immortal Killing. Any wound this lance delivers cannot be healed by any means. Even if by some miracle you could completely heal your entire body. Do you understand? If you make the slightest error, you'll be a failure as a Servant for the rest of your life!" Medusa said condescendingly. Then she broke Mashu's guard, causing her shield to be rebounded back. Seeing her chance, Medusa reeled her lance back, ready to attack the girl.

But Aka sat in a crouch and readied his legs as the sound of a charging piston was heard before an explosive bang took place, smashing the ground underneath to pebbles. Then the redhead leapt forward at an incredible speed with his fist reeled back. Medusa was so distracted in her speech that she did not expect the redhead to come up with another plan of attack, then she received a punch to the face from Aka's left fist. The attack sent the enemy Servant rippling through the air and towards the unexpected Ghost who readied himself similar to a batter in baseball. The will-o-wisp Kamen Rider swung and sent Medusa colliding into the pavement, dust erupting and rock smashing apart.

"It's good!" announced Kamen Rider Ex-Aid with a wave of his arms as he was somehow dressed in an umpire's outfit over his super deformed form.

"Sorry for using you like that, Mashu." Aka apologized as he waved his hand. The woman's skull felt harder than stone.

"It's fine, sempai. I didn't expect you to be able to predict that she would leave herself open like that."

"I've seen and fought too many overconfident opponents like her. It's a predictive pattern of speech with an even predictable number of attacks." Aka said. "But… The most overconfident opponents are also the most tenacious." Then the redhead turned around with a cautious glare as the enemy Servant jumped out of the crater and landed onto the chains the group encountered earlier. "Ex-Aid, change forms to the pink one! This is where the real fight begins!"

"So I'm predictable? Hmph, being too fresh can grate on the nerves." Then Medusa put her hands on her hair pulled it out of her hood, causing the hair to temporarily transform into snakes before they transformed into more chains, wrapping around the group into wall and trapping them.

Aka, Mashu, Ghost, and Ex-Aid quickly jumped back to where Olga Marie stood and readied themselves to fight her.

"I will entangle you all with my hair." Medusa stated as if her words were a guaranteed fact.

"So that's how she petrified those people. Some believed it wasn't Medusa's stare that can turn people to stone, but the snakes in her hair!" Ghost concluded.

"Tsk… This really is going to be rough." Aka said since they're now in a limited space situation. Not only that, but those chains can turn anything to stone in an instant.

"Don't worry, Sempai. I'll keep you safe."

" _You've got guts_." A male commended the girl's bravery. " _A little girl is a little girl, but you seem pretty strong. That's why I can't leave you like this_."

"Who are you?" asked Medusa who did not seemed pleased with the sudden appearance of an intruder.

" _Who? Look at me and you'll_ -"

"The ones who are going to kick your ass, Snake Woman!" shouted a voice from above. Medusa quickly looked up to the sight of an armored warrior with his sword raised above his head. The warrior had an armor helmet and a red chest plate with a train track. He swung down towards the enemy Servant, forcing her to jump off the chains. The armored warrior sliced through the chains with surprising ease before crashing into the ground, causing the paved road to explode with bricks flying.

"What the?"

"That voice, it's got to be…" Then the warrior jumped out of the crater he made and made a stance after stabbing his sword into the ground.

"Ore… sanjou!" shouted the warrior as he stretched his hands out.

"Den-O-sempai!" shouted Ex-Aid and Ghost.

"Yep! You thought I was dead, but it takes more than a few explosions to take out this Rider!" boasted the train warrior now identified as an ally to the Kamen Riders. Then he retrieved his sword which Aka noticed wasn't affected by the petrification effect of the chains.

Medusa landed on the other set of chains with an unamused expression. "Another odd warrior… You there, are you with whoever talked just now?"

"Why don't you ask the disappearing bastard yourself?" responded the train warrior who sounded annoyed.

"What?"

Then a flash of blue took place before the it died down to reveal a man in a fur blue cloak. The hood of the man was still up, but he visibly smiled in anticipation.

"You're…" Medusa instantly recognized who the cloaked man was. "Caster!"

The man took off his hood to reveal his entire face which was short spiky blue hair and he had red eyes. The identified Servant smiled in anticipation for battle.

"Why do you side with these wanderers?" asked Medusa.

"Hah? Because it's better that being on your side, obviously!" shouted Caster as he moved his palm in a single motion as several letters of light formed in the air. Then the letters transformed into fireballs that flew and targeted the enemy Servant. The attack hit and caused a large explosion, forcing the members of Chaldea to cover their faces and the three Riders to stand their ground. Though Den-O was the closest to the blast and was thrown backwards by the attack.

Then the train warrior quickly got back on his feet, angry at the Servant. "Oi! Watch where you're firing that, mahou punk!" shouted Den-O as he shook his fist at Caster. Behind him, the enemy Servant landed in a crouch.

"Then pay attention to your surroundings more." Then the Servant walked forward and stood in front of Mashu, Aka, Ex-Aid, Ghost, and Olga Marie. "I'm the Servant: Caster. For a certain reason, I consider her an enemy. The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my ally, but for now, you can trust me. Hey kid with the red hair, you're quite reckless risking your neck out like that. Get in position, young lady. Skill aside, your courage is second to none."

"Understood!" shouted Mashu as she turned forward, ready to fight.

"Kid!"

"Yes?" responded Aka who was surprised at the appearance of the man.

"Are you a Master?" asked Caster.

"Yes, I am."

"Then I'll leave it to you for the commands of battle."

"Are you sure?" asked Aka.

"It's a temporary contract, but out of regard for that young lady, I'll act as a Servant under you." The Caster said with a smile.

Aka gave the man's words some thought before nodding in response with a firm and even face. "Very well." Then the redhead turned to his Servant and the super deformed Kamen Rider. "Mashu, Mister Hojo, prepare to coordinate with Caster's attacks. Mister Den-O, protect Caster from the chains. Ghost, I trust you can keep the director safe."

"You got it!" Ghost replied with a thumbs up.

"You have a plan, Sempai?"

"Not really, but I can make a guess on the enemy's next move. Caster… get ready." Aka said as the group readied themselves to fight.

"I'm fine with that. It means I can kill you earlier than planned." Medusa said with glee. "I'll take you down while you are still flesh and blood." With a silent command, a strand of chains that hung on a railing came to life and spun into thick strands that attacked where Caster stood. The Servant quickly jumped as the chains slammed into the ground in front of the Chaldea members. Seeing as the chains still followed him, Caster quickly twisted his body and dodged them in order to not sustain injury and the curse of petrification. As the chains twist in midair, Den-O jumped and slashed apart that chains with his sword. Then Medusa appeared before Caster with her weapon ready to swing. She attacked and sent the spell-using Servant towards the ground, but Caster blocked her earlier attack and landed on the ground swiftly. With quick reactions, Caster jumped back as the enemy Servant swung her oddly shaped lance at him, barely even scratching the fur on his cloak. She swung relentlessly, forcing the Servant to dodged her attacks by jumping back, ducking, and making a short roll when she swung downwards.

* * *

Back to where Aka, Mashu, and Ex-Aid stood, they quickly ran up the slope to see where the two Servants. "Good, Ex-Aid, change to your next form while Caster keeps her busy." Aka requested, seeing this as a chance for the Kamen Rider to change form.

"Got it! Dai-Henshin!" announced Ex-Aid as he pulled the pink lever cover of his belt. Then a pink hardlight screen revealing an image of Ex-Aid in his pink, slimmer form. The screen closed in on the Rider and he jumped high into the sky.

"LEVEL UP!"

"MIGHTY JUMP!"

"MIGHT KICK!"

"MIGHTY! MIGHTY! ACTION! X!" The bulky armor flew off to reveal Ex-Aid in his second form which was the slimmer pink bodysuit. He landed in front of the two before wiping his hands.

"Now what we need is an opening." Aka said as the helping Servant evaded another attack.

* * *

"All you can do is run away! It seems you don't even have time to cast a spell, right?" Medusa asked as she followed Caster before attacking once more by jumping into the air and swinging down, but the Servant quickly tapped his hand on the ground and rolled forward to evade. "That's what you get for opening your big mouth. This what happens when you express your intentions." Then she prepared to swing down to kill the cornered Servant before her. But Caster smiled in anticipation, much to the enemy's shock.

"Mashu!" shouted Aka before Mashu stood in between the enemy Servant and Caster to block the attack.

Suddenly, the train warrior jumped in between them with his sword raised above his head. "Don't ignore me, you punks!" shouted Den-O as he swung his sword to hit Medusa, forcing her to block it. "I'm here so let me in on the fight! I've been itching to beat something up since the last one escaped!" Then he pointed himself with his thumb while resting his sword on his shoulder.

Medusa landed a fair distance away from the three. "Heh. I don't need to chant a spell to use Runes. So go back learning the basics, dimwit!" shouted Caster as he waved his hand and a letter of light glowed from where the enemy servant stood. Then a pillar of fire incinerated Medusa and she screamed in pain from the burns.

"Mister Hojo! Now!" shouted Aka.

"Okay!"

"Yosh! Time for a double hissatsu!" shouted Den-O.

Den-O put a black container over the center of his belt. "FULL CHARGE!"

At the same time, Ex-Aid took out the cartridge and inserted it into a slot on his left hip. "KIMEWAZA!" announced Ex-Aid's belt as he readied himself into a kick stance.

"MIGHTY CRITICAL STRIKE!" announced the belt as Ex-Aid's eyes flashed.

Then the two Kamen Riders jumped high into the sky with auras enveloping them before they positioned themselves into two side kicks as the aura propelled them forward.

When the fire dissipated, Medusa suffered serious burns, but she held her guard up to continue fighting despite her state. Much to her surprise, she did not expect two flying kicks from the warriors to come at her. Upon impact, they smashed into her form and the woman was sent skidding back with the energy from the attacks overloading her body and paralyzing her in place.

Aka gave a troubled expression at how their attacks weren't enough. "Tsk, not enough? Caster!"

"Already on it!" shouted Caster as he made another wave of letters to fire at the Servant.

"Everyone, behind Mashu's Shield, now!" shouted the weaponized soldier as he ran to her side with Fou quickly following his lead. Den-O and Ex-Aid quickly ran to hide behind the shield, while Ghost grabbed Olga Marie and also hid behind the shield. Then the several fireballs hit the enemy Servant, causing a very large explosion that blew apart the building near them to rubble.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the group was fine with a bit of soot on them. Ex-Aid stood up after covering the director from the explosion with Ghost. "Whoa, that is bigger than any explosion that our enemies made, sempai."

"Well duh! When Mahou punk fired his fireballs at her, it was like lighting a powder full of keg."

"I think the phrase is 'a keg full of gunpowder', sempai…" Ex-Aid commented with a sweat drop and an awkward expression from his eyes.

While the three talked to catch up on current events, Aka and Mashu gave cautious stares at the still form of the enemy Servant before her body started to disintegrate into light.

"And that's three down." Caster commented with confidence. Then he turned to Mashu approaching him.

"Thank you. You helped us when we were in danger." She bowed in respect to the Servant.

"Yeah, good work." Caster held the armored girl by her shoulder before putting his face close to hers. "But we were saved because of your support. Don't worry about it." Then he winked at her before rubbing her exposed shoulder.

Suddenly a blade came in between them, causing Caster and the girl to jump away as Fou jumped onto Mashu's shoulder. "Excuse me for interrupting your attempt at um... what it is you are doing with Mashu, Caster. But I noticed you mentioned three. Does that mean that you fought two Servants earlier?" asked Aka as he placed a familiar red sword on his shoulder.

Instead of feeling angered at how he was interrupted, the man laughed. "*Laughs* That's one fine body you found yourself, boy." Caster said with a light-hearted smile. Then Aka gave a puzzled and clueless look with only his right eyebrow rising up while Mashu winced a bit. Meanwhile, Ghost gave a sweat drop with Olga Marie at the comment.

"That's one sexual-harassing old pervert." The director of Chaldea realized that this Servant had some bad quirks that were on a different scale.

"Yep." The ghost-like Kamen Rider agreed. "But who is he? Since he's a hero, he must have come from some sort of past before proper etiquette was introduced. Though that could just be a quirk in his personality."

Meanwhile Den-O realized what made the man so familiarly annoying. "Damn it, I knew something about him annoyed me! He's just like that perverted turtle!"

"By the way, sempai. Isn't that your sword?" Ex-Aid pointed to the weapon that Aka suddenly obtained on his person.

"Huh?" Then the train warrior looked at his right hand and saw it was empty. Then he looked at the sword that Aka had in his left hand before looking at his empty hand again. Den-O repeated this process before his anger got the best of him. "Hey! Give me back my sword!" He shouted before charging at the redhead who took notice.

Then a beep was heard from the director's device and she pressed on it. "Romani, did you get all that?"

"Yes, Director." As the hologram visual of the doctor and Yule formed.

"And commoner, can you identify the new Kamen Rider here?"

"Him? That's Kamen Rider Den-O." Meanwhile Den-O shouted and pointed at the former soldier who gave back the sword with an apology. But the angered Kamen Rider tried to take a swing at him, and the redhead simply ducked and stood behind him as he stumbled forward. "He's a well-known Rider who sometimes causes trouble in several places in the world, but he isn't a bad person. His signature means of transportation is a white bullet train. Also, I think he's a time traveler, because that same train appeared in a picture from early Japanese history."

"So he must be the one who brought Ex-Aid and Ghost here. But for now, let's asked Caster about the situation. It seems he's a sane Heroic Spirit." Roman stated.

Caster stared at the exchange between Aka and Kamen Rider Den-O with amusement before he noticed the hologram of the doctor. "Oh? Is that some means of communication through Magecraft?"

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you. Heroic Spirit, I don't where you hail from, but it's an honor-"

Then Caster turned around, with an annoyed expression. "There's no need to be so florid. Just state your business quickly. You're good at that, right, weakling-man?" The Servant stated bluntly.

"W-Weakling…" Roman repeated stunned.

"That's pretty blunt." Yule responded with a sweat drop in his head.

* * *

Under a bridge, Caster explained the origins of why he and the other Servants were in Fuyuki.

"In short, you're Servants from the Holy Grail War that took place in this town, and the only survivor, yes?" Roman said.

"I didn't lose, if that's what you mean. Somewhere along the line, our Holy Grail War was switched with something else." Caster stated with silent anger.

"Switched?" Olga Marie repeated as a gesture to inquire more of what he meant.

"I don't know the details myself. Overnight, the town was blanketed with fire, all the humans disappeared, and only the Servants remained." Caster summarized.

"What?! Did you see a tower of eyes when that happened?" asked Ghost due to the same phenomenon occurring back in their time.

"Tower of eyes? Never saw anything like that when the fire happened." Caster had recalled that the sky suddenly flashed before the town was engulfed in flames but nothing about a tower of eyes. "Now where was I? Ah right, when she started causing trouble…"

"Who started causing trouble?" asked Roman.

"Saber. She was the one to start up the Holy Grail War again. That one Servant went on a rampage with relish, like a fish finally getting water."

"Like a fish finally getting water?" asked Aka who appeared a bit confused by his words.

"Sempai, be quiet." Mashu whispered.

"Saber has defeated Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, and Assassin. And then the defeated Servants became corrupted by a dark shadow, as you saw with Lancer. I disposed of the corrupted Assassin before I encountered Den-O here. Then we took down Rider before we encountered you guys. As for Berserker, I have no clue how he got defeated."

"Actually… we took him down." Ex-Aid said with nervousness.

"Huh? You guys fought Berserker and survived?" asked Caster who did not expect that out of the group.

"Yes. Caster, you said that you and Mister Den-O here have already defeated two Servants before joining us to defeat Lancer. Before we encountered Lancer, Mister Hojo here was fighting Berserker before Mashu, Mister Tenkuji, and I helped him defeat him."

"Luckily I weakened him before we finished him off." Ex-Aid said though he internally remembered how he had to run and jumped throughout the city to escape the insane Goliath. Luckily the power ups managed to help him.

"That's a relief." Yule gave a breath in relief.

"So if we defeat the last remaining Servant then…" Roman began.

"The Holy Grail War will be over." Caster finished.

"There's a high likelihood of settling the singularity F abnormality, too." Olga Marie stated. "Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah. At the heart of this land. They're protecting it. The corrupted Holy Grail."

"Corrupted?" wondered Aka. "What caused the Holy Grail to become corrupted?"

"Not sure, but you all noticed the red markings on the Servants you fought, right?" asked Caster.

The group thought for a moment until they remembered seeing such markings on Berserker and Lancer. "Yeah! I thought they were tattoos or something..." Ex-Aid responded.

"That's a sign of the corruption from what I can tell, but I don't know all the details." Caster apologized.

"It's fine. You just gave us another clue to work with." Olga Marie stated.

* * *

"I'll take care of the Archer Bastard. I need to settle things between us once and for all." Caster stated with a firm tone.

"You're not the only one who's got a score to settle with that punk! He nearly sent me to kingdom come when we got here!" Den-O said.

"He nearly tried to kill all of us when we got here, sempai." Ex-Aid pointed out.

"Shut up! You shouldn't be saying that when you two left my ass to get fried!" shouted Den-O as he bashed helmets with the younger Rider.

"Calm down, sempai! And we're sorry! But we had to run otherwise we would all have been killed!" apologized Ghost with his hands held together as a gesture to show his genuine apology.

"That doesn't mean you leave me behind!" shouted Den-O with a louder volume as he stomped the ground.

While ignoring the conversation between the three, the director decided to question the Servant's motives. "You really don't mind helping us? Even though you hardly know about our situation?"

"No, I don't mind. So don't worry about." Caster assured the group.

* * *

Then the group from Chaldea along with the three Kamen Riders walked through the city to where the Holy Grail was. As they walked, Caster decided to make small talk in order to break the silence. "I don't get involved with things outside of my own time period. At the end of the day, I cooperate as a weapon. That's the Servant Golden Rule."

"I guess that is something we both share, Caster." Aka commented as he walked forward while glancing at the Servant who appeared on the top of a ruined parking lot building.

"Judging by the way you fight, you've been in more than a couple of brawls, kid." Caster said before he disappeared.

"Sempai said he is a weaponized soldier, created for the purpose of fighting wars." Mashu said before she helped his up.

"Seriously? Though that would explain the his right arm, and how he can keep up with us." Ex-Aid said aloud.

"Wow, and I thought politicians couldn't stoop any lower." Den-O said with a disgusted tone. "Let me guess, kid. You got sick of whatever war you were sent in and left."

"You could say that, Mister Den-O. But what happened in the past that changed me was a man who spared me. Though he paid it with his life in doing so." Aka responded as he walked through a devastated street with his allies though his voice sounded a bit lifeless. "But… we should focus on our current situation."

Mashu gave a worried glance before turning to the two Kamen Riders who shrugged. Meanwhile, Ghost felt that Aka's attitude was similar to Ichigou's, the first Kamen Rider, when he first met him during his battles to regain his life.

* * *

Upon reaching a part of the highway that was completely collapsed, forcing the group to climb down. Ex-Aid jumped over the gap and helped the older Rider climb up while Mashu helped Aka up the road. Ghost flew over the gap before helping Ex-Aid with lifting Den-O up. "Your purpose is investigating the abnormality." Caster concluded. "My purpose is drawing the Holy Grail War to a close." When Olga Marie approached the ledge, Caster rematerialized before her with his hand offered out. "Our interests line up. Why not join forces in a jovial manner?"

"That's a logical decision." Olga Marie responded smiled before accepting his offer. But she was surprised when he dragged her up and onto the higher ledge.

"Still…" Caster gave a suspicious stare at the director. "You don't have the potential to be Master? The kid over there became one, and he isn't the closest thing to a normal human being." Then the blue haired man tilted his body to look at the redhead who stood up on the street. "No offense, by the way."

"It's fine, Caster. I've been called worse." Aka waved off before he turned to the director. "Though he does have a point, sir."

"So what of it?" Olga Marie responded with a push at the Servant who was a bit close to her personal space.

"I mean, you're a first-class Mage. You just don't have the potential to be a Master? Is it a curse?" asked Caster with a hint of curiosity.

"What difference does it make?" asked Olga Marie defensively.

"You've got a first-class stubborn streak, too." Caster commented with an amused smile.

"What was that?!" shouted the director with a blush.

The Kamen Riders chuckled at the scene, feeling the atmosphere was a bit lighter. Aka gave a small smile as if he had seen this scene before in the past. Then he turned to Mashu expecting her also be a bit amused, but she showed a downtrodden face while looking down. He looked at her in concern before asking. "Mashu, is something the matter?" The girl looked up but did not respond. "You're tired, aren't you? Seems like I overworked you with those last two battles."

"No!" Mashu responded with a quiet voice. "No, I'm fine! I'm operating perfectly. But…" Though she had as worried face.

"Oh, I know what it is." The director realized.

"Sir?" asked Aka.

"Sempai, I can't use my Noble Phantasm yet."

"Noble Phantasm?" asked the redhead as he turned to the director for more clarification.

"Judging by such a grand name, is it something important to Servants?" concluded Ex-Aid.

"That's correct, its the signature weapon that a Servant uses." Olga Marie explained.

"Basically what represents the Heroic Spirit and his or her legend?"

"Exactly, Ghost."

Aka turned to the shield that Mashu wielded. "But Mashu has…"

"No, this shield hasn't shown me its true form yet." Mashu responded before she also turned to look at the massive shield.

"Some games have used the names of famous weapons but very few have used the name of shields." Ex-Aid said while also examining the shield. "Ghost, can you make a guess about the shield?" The game-based Rider turned to the orange ghost because of his expertise in the field.

"Wait a minute, why aren't you asking me? I'm the time traveler here!" shouted Den-O.

"Sorry sempai, but you aren't exactly Doctor Who when it comes to history." Ex-Aid pointed out. "You did get into a brawl with some drunk Irish Knights."

"That was one time, and now, people just can't seem to let it go!" shouted Den-O indignantly, regretting telling the story to the younger generation during their group meet-ups.

Deciding to ignore the argument between the two, Olga Marie could only sigh at the situation with a frustrated look. "*Sigh* You said that you didn't know what kind of Servant you merged with, so I figured this was an issue."

"How about we go with Ex-Aid's idea and guess the origins of the Servant?" Ghost declared with a finger point. "Let's see… Judging by the armor, the Servant was a knight… So he's from a European legend."

"European knight? That doesn't really help us with whoever this Servant is." Den-O said with his arms folded. While internally, he grimaced about the last time he tangled with a couple of knight from some table. That one with the red skirt had punched pretty hard.

"I'm sorry." Mashu apologized.

"It's not all your responsibility. An outstanding Master should be able to analyze the Servant he has a contract with." Olga Marie said before she turned to the redhead.

Upon hearing her words, the former soldier had eyes that weren't lifeless, but they weren't alive either. "So I'm the cause? Now that I think about it, I guess it can't be helped." Aka said with an even tone as he stared towards the blackened sky. "It's to be expected from a defect like me." Then he walked forward before standing onto the railing of the highway.

"Sempai?" asked Mashu who noticed he was behaving oddly.

The wind blew as he stared towards the sky once more, he balanced himself to not fall off. "It's fine, I'm not exactly welcomed into this world." Then a memory of a tanned man with a bow aimed at him with a strange metal arrow. "Though… I don't understand why that man would spare me… Then sent me off to meet Mister Syforce."

"Sorry for interrupting your brooding, kid…" Caster said. "…but a Noble Phantasm is about instinct. If something happens that calls upon that instinct…" Then he pointed at the redhead. "…it will awaken naturally." The man stated with a dangerous look.

Mashu sprang into action along with Ex-Aid and Ghost to protect the redhead. Then the director stood in front of them all with her arms spread out. Den-O pointed his sword forward to help out. A standoff occurred with the Servant and the Chaldea members and Kamen Riders.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Please be patient as I build the third and final part to the First Order Arc. Though I wonder how I can build a character who is a former soldier in battle.**

 **Edit Notice: I decided that Ghost wasn't getting enough screen time, so I decided to edit him into this chapter before sending him off in the next, so the moment I planned for him in the final part chapter of the first arc will still work.**


	4. Chapter 1-3: First Order Pt 3

**Chapter 1-3: First Order part** **3**

* * *

On the highway, a standoff between the fur coat wearing Servant known as Caster and the members of Chaldea with Kamen Riders Ex-Aid, Den-O, and Ghost was at a standstill. Then the Servant smiled before he disappeared into a blue light. The Kamen Riders lowered their weapons and Olga Marie let out a breath in ease.

"I'm tired. Let's rest a bit up ahead. And you, get off of there before I make Mashu get you off!" ordered the director before she walked forward on the road.

"Understood, sir." Aka said as he got off the railing.

"Sempai… You shouldn't have such thoughts." Mashu chastised the teen

"…Sorry… When the director said that, I couldn't help but doubt the meaning of my existence." Aka apologized as he scratched his head.

Mashu sympathized with the former soldier, and she felt she understood his meaning. Suddenly from behind, Den-O came and wrapped his arm around the young man's neck.

"Look, kid. There are times when we question what we are as people, whether we were created to play, to help, or to kill, but it's up to us to make the next decision. Me, for example, I was originally one of the monsters that were born to destroy the past. But I chose to become a Kamen Rider, because I wanted to! So you make a decision not based on your past, but what you truly want now!" advised Den-O as he had his own experience dealing with the fact he wasn't exactly human, but he was still someone who wanted to help people.

"What I truly want…" Aka repeated the train Kamen Rider's words.

"Yep! Now think about it when we find a place to rest. Man, I'm tired from all the running today. Come on, Pinky and Glowie!" Den-O walked away with his hands behind his head.

"G-Got it, sempai!" shouted the pink Kamen Rider as he ran after the train Rider.

Ghost followed before turning to the redhead. "Sorry about sempai's words, but you shouldn't treat you life like that Aka. Your life burns as bright as any human being. Just try to think about his words, all right?" Then Ghost ran forward to catch up with his fellow Riders.

Mashu stared at the redhead with worry as he turned his head to look at her. Then he turned away. "I'm fine, Mashu. Just… need to think for a bit. Today has just been one FUBAR after another." Then he walked forward to follow the group to a place of rest though his pace was sluggish. The armored girl couldn't help but worry about the former soldier as she stared at his back. Then Fou licked her face in assurance, then she walked forward.

* * *

The director chose a ruined and abandoned school building as the best place for the group to rest up. The two Kamen Riders took the Nurse's office with Den-O sleeping in a dusty but usable bed after what happened. Ex-Aid searched the drawers and cabinets for any usable bandages and medicines for the group if it turned out any of them had some injuries from the earlier fights. Ghost also slept for a bit in a bed since he was also exhausted from all of the sudden events today.

* * *

In a classroom, Aka walked through it looking at the upturned desks and chairs before sitting on a standing desk. Then he placed his foot on a chair to pull up on his left pants leg to reveal the silver color of metal on his leg. The redhead pulled open a slot to reveal the inner workings of his leg which let out a bit of steam and smoke. Waving it clear, the redhead looked at the leg which had a chamber which was empty.

"Seems like I used my last boost against Lancer..."

The former soldier sighed and closed the slot before pulling down on the pant leg to cover the metal leg. Standing up, Aka looked around for a bit before picking up a dusty and somewhat singed textbook. He walked outside of the room with the book before opening it to reveal a couple of pages of Japanese text along with a picture of people.

He skimmed over the text before realizing that they didn't make any sense. "This text is strange… 'miso and some vegetables to eat?' Is that a code for something?" wondered the redhead aloud.

"Fou! Kyu!" cried a familiar cry.

"Sempai?"

"Mashu!" Aka realized she stood near a broken window with Fou sitting on her shoulder, staring at him. He turned away from her while closing the book. "I'm… just trying to keep myself busy. That's all."

"Oh…"

"So, aren't you cold in that armor?" asked the redhead though he wasn't facing the girl.

"I'm fine. It seems my Demi-Servant form isn't affected by the temperature." Mashu said.

The redhead couldn't help but nod automatically at her words. "Lucky, even though I was engineered for harsh environments, I can still feel the heat and cold outside." Then he turned to the window with an unreadable expression. "But, I was never designed to be a Magi, much less a Master. I'm sorry for being a nuisance." He closed his eyes with a demoralized expression. "I acted without thinking, and put our contract in jeopardy by fighting alongside you. If you were contracted with a fully trained Magi instead of a random expendable soldier, then you would have an easier time as a Demi-Servant."

Mashu was surprised before she smiled in understanding. "You really are human, sempai."

Those words caught the former soldier's interest with surprise recognizable on his face. He was called many things, even "a thing" but never... "Human? What do you mean?"

"You showed care and worry about us all, sempai. And self-doubt is actually the most human action you've shown so far. When you first came… you didn't give off an aura of hate, deceit, or distrust that most Magi would give off." Mashu stated with a calm but caring smile. Then the white furred creature licked her cheek before yelping. "And Fou trusted you, so I could also trust you."

"Even though you know what I am?" stated the former soldier.

"Of course. In truth, I'm happy. Happy that I could form a contract with you as a Servant." Mashu smiled brightly with closed eyes towards the redhead.

As if feeling the weight in his very core lift a bit, Aka could only smile in response. This was a first for him... Someone who trusted him as an individual rather than what he was. It felt... nice.

"Was there a blue sky here, too?" asked the armored girl as she turned to the sky.

"Probably. I remember Mr. Syforce once said that the sky was as bright blue as far as the eye can see, filled with fluffy white clouds." Aka said while turning to stare at the sky with the Demi-Servant.

* * *

From a stairwell, Olga Marie observed the interaction before she traveled up the stairs to the roof of the school. She was on her knees placing several stones she collected from around the school onto a yellow magic sigil. The director held a stone and began tracing a symbol on it.

As she traced an "N" on the stone, the Magi chanted. "Stars, cosmos, gods, animus, hollow, void, anima, Animusphere." The symbol was completed into the symbol of the Zodiac constellation, Capricorn. The stone glowed with a yellow aura as the symbol disappeared into it. When faded, the stone looked as normal as any other stone.

Then Caster materialized into existence behind her as Olga Marie placed the stone and picked up another one to use. "You're working hard."

"Better than nothing, right?" The director of Chaldea stated rhetorically as she traced a diferent symbol on the stone she held.

"Hm?" The Caster looked curious as he picked up a couple of the stones he sensed was enchanted.

"Hey, don't take that without permission!" shouted the head of the Animusphere family. When she realized any further orders to the Servant would be useless, the director decided to go with another topic. She folded her arms with a little discontent before asking. "There's something important that I haven't confirmed yet. Do you know the True Name of the Saber Servant? You speak as if you fought her several times."

Caster was tossing and catching the stones while listening to her question before ending the pattern to answer. "Yes, I know. Anyone who's been struck by her Noble Phantasm would realize her identity. Pulling the sword from a stone selects a king. It's the most famous sword of all, even in your time period. Its name is Excalibur."

"*Gasp* Excalibur?! Then that means-"

"The sword that belongs to King Arthur, the celebrated King of Knights." An image of a sword with a golden hilt was held in the armored hands of a shadowed silhouette.

Olga Marie realized the circumstances were dire due to the identity of the last Servant. "Are you going to tell Mashu to fight King Arthur? Her Noble Phantasm is still sealed!"

"The young lady has that shield." Caster responded simply.

"But her Noble Phantasm…" shouted Olga Marie until she was interrupted.

"Be wary of that shield, there was a bowman who targeted that young lady because of it." Caster riddled without turning to face the director.

"What?"

"If Archer makes a move, then Saber is definitely involved. And if my hunch is right…" Caster said, implying there may be more to the shield than the two realize.

Olga Marie also remembered something that Ghost said. " _Let's see… Judging by the armor, the Servant was a knight… So he's from a European legend._ "

* * *

Back in the nurse's office, Ex-Aid managed to gather the useable medicines and bandages for the human members of the group. After placing the last roll of bandage he scavenged, the game-based Rider felt ready for anything.

"AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH! THAT'S RIGHT! I FORGOT!" suddenly shouted Den-O, catching the young Rider off-guard. At that same moment, Ghost fell off his bed with a panicking thud before he groaned in pain.

"Huh?! Den-O-sempai!" shouted the pink Kamen Rider before he ran to the bed to check on the train Rider. "What's wron-"

"THE BOOK! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BOOK, PINKIE?!" shouted Den-O as he grabbed the young Rider by his shoulders.

"Huh? The Book?" asked Ex-Aid who had no idea what he was talking about.

Then Den-O shook him roughly. "Yes, the Book! What happened to the Book that Owner gave to you, Pinkie?" Den-O's helmet was practically too close for comfort for the pink Kamen Rider.

"The Book… that Owner gave to… me… AW CRAP, I FORGOT ABOUT IT!" shouted Ex-Aid as he grabbed the sides of his head in shock that he forgot the important item.

"So where is it? Please don't tell me you dropped it." Den-O begged, hoping the younger Rider didn't make such a mistake.

"I might have when I got attacked by Berserker…" Ex-Aid trailed off before he was subjected to another round of shaking.

"YOU… WHAT?! THAT IMPORTANT THING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN TO THE KID WITH RED HAIR AND YOU DROPPED IT?! YOU PRACTICALLY SCREWED ALL OF US!"

"I'm… sorry… Sempai…" apologized Ex-Aid who had a pale expression before he was dropped on the floor.

"Damn it! I don't know what's worse! Knowing that we're probably gonna get our asses handed to us because you couldn't play delivery boy. Or that Owner's gonna be pissed when he finds out!" Den-O shouted with worry since he didn't want to get punished by the man like the last time one of his pranks hit him by unintentionally. Just thinking about it gave him the shivers.

"Sempai? What's going on?" asked Ghost as he approached the older Kamen Rider.

"Glowie! Remember about the book that Pinky had? Well he dropped it! Now go out there and grab it!" shouted Den-O.

"Huh? A book?" wondered Ghost before he remember the large metal plated book that Owner gave to Ex-Aid. "Oh! So you mean that book!

"YES! NOW FIND IT FOR MY SAKE AND EVERYONE ELSE'S!" shouted Den-O who pointed at a window.

"G-Got it!" Ghost said before he turned transparent and jumped through one of the walls leading outside before flying out.

A pair of charging footsteps was heard before the door to the office opened to reveal Aka and Mashu, and Fou still sat on her shoulder. "Mister Den-O, is everything all right? Is a Servant attacking?" asked the redhead as they rushed in only to see the train Rider holding his legs and rocking back and forth in a disheartened state. "What the?"

Mashu knelt down and waved her hand in front of his mask with no response whatsoever. "He appears catatonic, sempai."

"How did he become like this?" wondered the redhead who cupped his chin. "I've only seen this with soldiers who got shell-shocked or shot for the first time."

"Think about it later, sempai. We need to snap Den-O out of it. But how?" wondered the girl in black armor who thought of a way to snap the man out of his state.

"Hm…" Aka thought a bit on what to do until Olga Marie ran in to check on the situation.

"I heard a scream, is the enemy attacking?"

"Director!" Mashu turned around to face her superior with Aka. "False alarm, Kamen Rider Den-O just screamed, and there was no sign of the enemy. Though we found him in this state."

"So basically he became spooked?" asked Olga Marie before she scoffed with an unamused expression. "What a coward."

Then Aka decided to speak up. "Well sir, we still need a way to snap him out of it. Any suggestions?"

The director thought for a moment before approaching the train Kamen Rider. "Well, I do know one way…" Then she raised her right hand before a loud smack was heard followed by a thud on the floor.

"Ouch…" Aka winced after witnessing the director's solution.

"ITAAAAAIIIII! WHO THE HELL HIT ME?!" screamed Den-O as he stood up in pain while grasping where he was slapped in the face. Then he looked around before seeing the Chaldea members present. "You guys?"

"Looks like he snapped out of it. If you two need me, I will be on the roof." Olga Marie shook her hand though it didn't hurt, much to her surprise.

"Understood, sir." Aka responded as he stepped back to allow the director to pass.

"Oi! Get back here, self-important mahou-onna!" shouted Den-O but his words were ignored as the director left the room. Then he ticked before walking to sit on the bed in a lotus position.

After she left the room, Ex-Aid could be heard groaning before he slowly got up from the side of the bed. He held his head as he stood up before noticing the Master and Demi-Servant pair.

"Oh, Aka, Mashu, when did you two get here?" asked Ex-Aid.

"Well…" Mashu turned to Aka who had a similar straight but nervous expression before they turned to Den-O who still held his aching cheek.

"What?" asked the train Rider who seemed to forgot his earlier predicament.

"Wait a minute, where's Mister Tenkuji?" asked Aka.

"He went off to grab something for us. Don't worry, he'll come back." Den-O said not realizing that he sent the orange ghost Kamen Rider on a search akin to a needle in the haystack. But on the larger scale of finding one single book that was the size of a phone book, but still a very small object in a large city.

* * *

Due to the Riders unwilling to explain further about the sudden shout Den-O made earlier, Aka and Mashu decided to drop the subject. Later, the group met together before departing to their next location which was deep in the forest-covered mountains. Following Caster's lead, the group arrived at the entrance of a cavern.

"The Holy Grail is inside here." Caster stated as they stood in front of the entrance.

"It looks like any natural cave, but has it always been in the town of Fuyuki?" Mashu asked puzzled what made the cave so special.

Aka's left eye dilated, activating its far sight function to analyze the cave. "Seem like it has been here a while, Mashu. Wait a minute…" Then the redhead noticed some parts of the cave carved out in cube-like sections. "There seems to be parts that are man-made."

"Of course, it's half-natural, and half-artificial." Olga Marie stated bringing everyone's attention to her. "A sign that a Magi spent many years expanding his underground workshop."

Sitting on Mashu's shoulder, Fou felt a shiver before turning around to growl at something behind them. Taking notice, the group turned around to face whoever stood behind them with Mashu and the Kamen Riders readying their weapons.

"Well speak of the devil. The disciple is here." Caster commented as he walked forward.

"…!" Aka gave a surprised face at who stood on a cliff.

Standing on the cliff was a tall man with a tan complexion who wore a sleeveless shirt that doubled as light armor with a torn red tailcoat with a pair of leggings and armored boots. His body had similar red markings to the previous Servants that the group fought against.

"The Archer Servant?" said Olga Marie with a determined face.

"Are you protecting the wielder of the holy sword as always?" asked Caster though the question was rhetorical.

"I have no memory of becoming a disciple. But I can at least do the work of chasing off mundane visito- Hm?" Then the Archer Servant turned to notice Aka who broke into a cold sweat upon meeting the man's eyes. The enemy Servant narrowed his eyes after feeling a sense of familiarity in the teen. "You… Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Master, do you know this man?" asked Mashu though she didn't let her eyes off Archer.

Aka responded automatically while feeling a bit weak in his knees. "Yes… To think I would run into him here of all places."

Then the Archer's eyes widened in realization as a memory of Aka covered in blood took form in his mind. "I see…" he muttered before summoning his bow from thin air. "Now I really can't allow you all through."

"So you're playing gatekeeper, huh? I don't know what you're protecting Saber from besides that kid, but let's end this here."

"Same here! You still owe for sending me flying!" shouted Den-O as he pointed his sword at the Servant.

Then Archer commanded a sword into existence before preparing to nock it onto the bow. "Sorry, but I don't have that kind of…" He shouted as the sword transformed into a metal spear-like projectile, and he aimed at Mashu. "…free time!" Then the arrow flew through the air as everyone ran to cover or stayed in place.

Aka realized who his target was and jumped in front of the girl with his right hand stretched out. He held his arm and internally commanded a function to activate. The arm itself pulled open to reveal its inner workings and energy expanded out to form a hardlight shield that formed layers.

"Command: Ab…" Aka's right eye turned a hint of red as the energy of the shield also turned red in the center.

"Eihwaz!" chanted Caster.

Suddenly, the spear-like arrow was burned out of existence, much to the surprise of everyone present.

"Don't say such sad things, Archer." Caster said to the Servant who summoned another sword into existence. "Unless you don't have the confidence to take me on?" Then the friendly Servant quickly created a row of Rune letters to fire spell attacks at Archer.

Archer quickly jumped away from the attack and into the air as the attack shattered the cliff he was on.

"Go right now! Saber's in there!" shouted the Servant as he turned to the Chaldea members.

The group turned to each other to decide their next move.

"Let's go!" shouted Olga Marie who ran into the cave.

"Got it!" responded Mashu who followed her.

Aka deactivated the function and his arm returned to normal. Then he turned around to follow but he stopped when Caster called out to him.

"Hey kid! Don't do anything reckless! I have no idea what you turned your arm into, but I recommend not using it against Saber's Noble Phantasm!" warned Caster with a serious tone.

The redhead lifted his right arm to look at its weathered state before gripping his fist. "Understood!" shouted Aka as he ran after Mashu and the director.

Caster smiled in respect as Archer landed near the destroyed cliff. The tanned man looked up to see the three members were running into the cave. Making them a priority for the enemy Servant, he attempted to chase after them but Caster, Den-O, and Ex-Aid stood at the ready.

"All right! Let's start this off from the Climax!" shouted Den-O.

"Very well!" shouted Caster as he spun his staff and he stabbed its end onto the ground, creating a letter that caused the ground to glow. Then a wave of fire charged at Archer who was forced to dodge it, then another explosion leveled the blast area with fire and smoke billowing upwards.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Chaldea group charged into a very large room where they saw sight of an uphill slope with a glow at the top.

"What is this thing?" asked Aka who felt something powerful from it.

"An exclusive Magecraft reactor core? Could this be the Holy Grail?" wondered Olga Marie.

"Oh-ho. That is an interesting Servant there." A woman said as she stood at the top of the hill. She revealed herself to be a young adult female who was petite. Her hair was a pale blond, her eyes were a sinister yellow shade, and her skin was also pale. The woman wore a set of black armor with red, blood-vessel-like markings, her skirt was a black hue, and she wore a lower mask plate. Her demeanor gave off something sinister and threatening.

Upon laying his eyes on the woman, Aka felt cold sweat from his body pour a bit. "She is Saber?"

"What an incredible amount of prana!" Olga Marie said as she never met anyone with such a presence.

Mashu readied herself putting her shield in front of her body.

"A shield, is it? Be ready to wield it, unknown Servant." Saber stated with an angered and eager expression. "With this sword, I will test if your protection…" Then she readied her sword in front of herself. "…is true!"

"Mashu! Prepare yourself!" shouted Aka.

"Understood, Master!" Then Mashu ran forward as Saber jumped off the hill with her sword ready to swing.

* * *

Back at the battle between Archer, Caster, and the Kamen Riders, the group had relocated to a devastated temple after leaving a trail of destruction in the mountain forest. Caster landed in front of the temple along with Ex-Aid his side before they looked up to see Archer falling and fending off an attack by Den-O. Then he swung his sword at the train Rider and sent him into the ground near the two. Following that, he nocked his sword onto the bow and fired the destructive shot at the group.

"I got it!" shouted Ex-Aid readying his hammer before he was pushed down by Caster.

"Don't do anything reckless! I got this!" Then Caster slammed the tip of his staff into the ground creating another large spell. Then several tree roots formed from the ground and soon created a large shield made of the roots around them. The arrow collided with the shield and an explosion followed. Luckily the shield protected them from the destructive force of the attack, so the group's clothing and armor only received scorch marks.

Archer landed in front of the group on the roof of the temple with a drill sword nocked on his bow. The sword transformed into a thinner spear-like arrow to be fired at the group. Upon being launched, the recoil shattered the roof along with the arrow transforming into a very large energy shot.

Despite facing possible death, the group stood strong. Then Caster gave a grin as if he anticipated the moment Archer fired that specific arrow.

"Here we go! Grand Scale!" Caster slammed his left hand onto the ground and a magic circle with hourglasses and unknown letters formed underneath the three. Then the arrow's destructive power ceased before stopping in front of them and disintegrating into nothing. Then six more magic circles formed and surround the battle area. Archer didn't know what made the spell using Servant was planning, but he won't fall for it.

"Okay, time to let loose! Pinkie!" Den-O turned to the younger Rider.

"Got it, sempai!" Ex-Aid took out a yellowish-green cartridge and pressed the button on it.

"SHAKARIKI SPORTS!" announced the cartridge as a screen appeared behind Ex-Aid. Then a pink and yellowish-green BMX materialized and circled around the game-based Rider.

After that, the pink Kamen Rider pulled the pink lever cover on his belt closed and inserted the cartridge into a second slot next to his pink one. "Dai...Dai...Dai Henshin!" shouted Ex-Aid as he swung his right arm in several circles before pulling the lever cover to summon two screens representing his current cartridge and the new one.

"GACHAN! LEVEL UP! MIGHTY JUMP! MIGHTY KICK! MIGHTY, MIGHTY ACTION X! A GACHA! SHAKARIKI, SHAKARIKI, BAD! BAD! SHAKATTO, RIKITTO, SHAKARIKI SPORTS!" As the announcement was made, the bicycle folded up, attached, and became upper armor for the Kamen Rider and a different armor plate for his helmet. The Rider took off the pink wheel near his right shoulder and held it ready to throw. Then he threw the tire as it transformed into a pink razor disc that flew at Archer.

The bow using Servant jumped quickly into the air to evade the attack, but suddenly his back crashed into an invisible wall in the sky, causing him to fall. The man crashed into in the center of a crater, and he painfully lifted himself up when the dust clear.

"You put Runes in the air!" Archer said as he lifted his head to glare at Caster.

Caster smiled in response as Ex-Aid's wheel returned to him. "Yeah, my mentor had a spell that summoned the Gate of the Underworld. I ripped her off, basically. Besides, it won't do us any good to shoot at each other at long range too long. From here, let's go all out and do our usual fight!" Then the Servant prepared his staff for battle and entered a spearman stance as Archer stood fully up.

"Heh, now that I can work with!" Den-O said as he rolled his arm before preparing to fight alongside the Servant of spells. "Just don't get in my way!"

"I should say the same!" Caster grinned in eagerness.

"Hmph, a Caster class actually picking a fight at close range? Maybe you've become smarter than usual." Archer stated as he held his hands out and suddenly two twin swords which were black and white materialized in his hands.

"Heh." Then Caster charged in to take the fight to the Archer as Den-O also followed his lead along with Ex-Aid. "One's cleverness and tastes are two different things!" announced Caster as he clashed with the Servant of the Bow.

* * *

Back at the Chaldea group's side, Saber's sword clashed with Mashu's shield, creating a large shockwave that threw up dust and shattered a small layer of the ground in pebbles. Sparks flew as the Demi-Servant stumbled a bit before she stood her ground for the next sword swing from Saber who looked more willing to crush her. The next swing was stronger than the last and sent debris all over the place with Aka and Olga Marie raising their arms as a handful of rocks flew at them. With quick thinking, the director moved forward and took an enchanted stone from her sleeve, and she threw into the ground to create a yellow shield of light in front of them.

Saber swung her two-handed sword relentlessly onto Mashu's shield, each sword swing even and powerful. "What's wrong? Won't you come forward?" asked Saber as she swung harder to break the Demi-Servant's guard. Mashu gritted her teeth as she held her own against the attack.

Aka gave worried glance at the girl which was noticed by the director.

Saber then swung from a lower angle and up, sending the shield into the air along with the Demi-Servant. Mashu sailed through the air for a bit before landing painfully on the ground with her shield tumbling next to her. Realizing her life was in danger, Aka prepared to charge forward to help her but Olga Marie raised her hand to stop him.

"If you intend to go help her, you'll only be in the way. No, worse than that."

"But sir! Mashu is…"

"Then prepare your resolve." Mashu looked up from her position and saw Saber closing in with her sword ready to end the fight. "I understand how you feel. Painfully so… You're her Master. And she is your Servant!" Olga Marie stated as Mashu lifted her shield and stood up to continue fighting.

In response to her defiance, Saber swung her sword down, creating a shockwave that slammed into the shield. The blow sent the weakened Demi-Servant flying back and on the ground once more.

The director stood with worry but knew she couldn't do anything to help the armored girl. Aka also felt useless after watching Mashu on the ground, he remembered similar fates to those he worked with back on the battlefield usually ending in death. Just thinking about made him turn away for a second.

"Don't look away!" shouted the director who continued witnessing the fight. The redhead opened his eyes and turned to her. "Look straight ahead! Hold your head high! Right now, what should you really be doing as a Master?" asked Olga Marie.

Aka took in her words and stood strong for the girl who supported him. Then he looked forward and shouted. "Mashu!" shouted the redhead who caught the attention of said girl. "Stand tall and strong! No matter how many times you fall down, we will stand with you till the very end!"

Hearing his words, Mashu slowly stood up and lifted her shield up once more with a determined face. Saber looked angered as her very form glowed with a sinister purple glow before exploding into an erupting energy aura. The king readied her sword to be swung as Mashu gritted her teeth to brace for the upcoming attack.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the temple, Caster swung his staff which was lit in flames at Archer who dodged his attacks. From behind the tanned man, Ex-Aid swung his hammer to hit him, but the enemy Servant blocked the attack with one of his swords which was knocked into the air. Then Den-O came from the sky and swung his sword into Archer's who raised it to intercept the attack, but the attacked left a powerful effect on his arms which creaked under the pressure. As the dust that exploded out from the attack cleared, the Train Rider kept his sword's edge on Archer's blade.

"Game over, you sniping bastard!" shouted Den-O as Caster and Ex-Aid positioned themselves to strike until the spell Servant noticed the amount of power that was being given off from the cave. His action also prompted the Kamen Riders to also look at the energy that was evidently seen as a purple and red pillar.

* * *

At a different location in the city, an orange glow could be seen before Ghost materialized. The Kamen Rider looked around the city streets for the book, though it was literally impossible to his frustration. But the Kamen Rider knew that the book was an important item for their situation as experience as a Kamen Rider helped him remember that the most seemingly useless items could actually be useful.

"Now where is it? Ex-Aid was the one who had the book so he must have dropped it somewhere when he fought Berserker. But where?" wondered Ghost as he walked around before noticing a large number of destroyed buildings. "Might as well start ther-"

Then Ghost sensed something malicious and he looked up to notice a glow of purple and red in the sky. With quick action, Ghost flew in the direction of where he felt the energy was coming from, realizing that everyone needed help.

* * *

Back at the temple, Archer knew he still had a chance at winning. "You've got that right. You've all come this far and you're worried about someone else." Den-O felt annoyed and angered by the way Archer talked and prepared to end the fight while Ex-Aid glanced up to notice that the white sword that he knocked out of Archer's right hand was spinning through the sky and towards…

"Sempai! Watch out!" shouted Ex-Aid as he ran towards the older Kamen Rider.

"Eh?" Den-O turned around to see the sword flying right at him.

* * *

Back at the battle between Saber and Mashu, the enemy Servant readied her sword and raised it above her head.

"I shall answer those eyes." Saber stated in response to Mashu's defiant eyes as she grabbed her sword in a two handed grip. "And to the heart that means to protect its Master!" Then the energy surrounding Saber caused the air itself to stir and it traveled to her sword, transforming the blade into an energy of darkness.

"Please endure it Mashu!" shouted Olga Marie with worry, knowing that Saber had evidently activated her Noble Phantasm.

Realizing the danger to Mashu, Aka ran forward with Fou gripping on his shoulder as he ran towards the battle site.

"Wait, Aka!" shouted the director.

"I understand my purpose, sir! But… I won't stand by when I can still do something!" shouted Aka as his right arm pulled itself apart to once more reveal its glowing inner workings.

" **Excalibur Morgan**!" shouted Saber as she swung the sword of darkness towards Mashu which turned into a large beam of darkness. The attack impacted the shield creating a large shockwave that blew apart the wind and caught Aka and Fou off balance. Mashu held her ground as the attack impacted her shield continuously.

But the redhead stood up against the force of the winds from the attack and held his right arm as a hardlight shield formed in front of it. His eye gained a smaller center of red before the hardlight shield's center turned into a red tint.

"Command: Absorb!" shouted Aka as the hardlight launched forward and hit the beam. Then the energy from the beam started being pulled towards Aka's arm transforming into a vortex of energy the flew into the center of the arm.

"What's this?" Saber glared and she turned to see that the energy of her attack was being dragged in by an unknown method. She turned her head and saw that the unknown Master was draining the energy of the attack to lessen the burden on his Servant. "That Master… what in the world is he?"

Mashu felt the attack lessening. "Master?" She turned her eyes to see Aka was draining some of the energy from the Noble Phantasm attack.

"HAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Aka shouted as he felt the energy burn into the energy core that was locate in his chest and his right arm sparked and vibrated uncontrollably. Then he saw that the internal parameters in his body were alerting that the energy can't be contained and must be released otherwise lasting damage to his body and possible death will occur. But the redhead kept absorbing the energy in order to allow Mashu an easier time enduring the attack.

Realizing it was too much of a risk to allow the redhead to absorb the energy of her Noble Phantasm, Saber ceased its activation, causing the sword to return to normal. Aka fell to his knees as he felt the energy burn in his body, making him feel uncomfortable, his body sweating to no end, and his right arm sparked with red and black energy. Mashu caught her breath as she held her shield. As she turned to her opponent, the armored girl realized that Saber was raising her sword with only one target in mind, her Master. The woman increased the amount of energy she had into the sword and once more it became a large energy blade of darkness.

"Master!" shouted Mashu as she ran to his side, but she could not get to him in time.

Aka looked up and saw that Saber's attention was on him and decided to meet her attack face on. He slowly stood up and gave a command as his right arm transformed back to normal. "Command: Core Discharge." Then the mechanical hand opened to reveal a gun trigger that Aka pulled out revealing a black revolver that had red markings and sparked with red electricity. He aimed the weapon at Saber who was more than ready to kill the Master. Aka stared forward as energy flowed through his left arm in a circuit pattern before charging the gun chamber.

"He's manipulating the prana he absorbed into the gun?" Olga Marie saw that the former soldier was actually circulating the prana he absorbed into weapon he took out. Not only that, but he evidently had magic circuits which only Magi or people of Magi descent could have.

" **Excalibur Morgan**!" shouted Saber as she swung down to fire a beam.

"Command: Fire!" shouted the weaponized soldier as the gun fired a bullet that flew through the air and smashed into the beam. The recoil of the shot blew the gun apart, but spared the redhead's left hand with a few bloody wounds. Much to the surprise of everyone present, the bullet was actually stopping the shot from reaching the redhead as he fell to his knees in exhaustion.

But the shot managed to buy Mashu time to move in front of Aka, and she placed her shield to protect him. Then the power struggle between the bullet made of a mass of energy and the beam from the enemy Servant's sword reached its climax when the bullet broke apart and exploded, creating a large blast that dispersed the beam and engulfed Saber. Olga Marie was stunned at how the amateur Master proved to be able to hold his own against a Servant's Noble Phantasm despite the danger.

"That was way too reckless of you, sempai." Mashu said despite her injured and tired state.

"Yeah, but I couldn't watch as you took all that punishment." Aka said with a tired smile before he felt pain in his chest. His body sparked with electricity as the internal parameters reported errors and malfunctions. "Ugh!"

"Master!" shouted Mashu as the redhead collapsed, unconscious.

Olga Marie noticed as the dust cloud somewhat cleared, there was an armored foot. "Mashu! She isn't defeated yet!" warned the director.

Then the cloud of dust dispersed to reveal Saber still standing, unfazed and unscathed from the blast of the earlier power struggle. She stared at the redhead with interest before turning her eyes to Mashu. "You, unknown Servant, what is that boy? There wasn't anyone in existence who could absorb the power of my Noble Phantasm and send it back until now. Answer and I may spare his life after I take yours."

Mashu gave a firm stance as she held her massive shield to protect Aka and herself. "He's Human, simple as that."

Saber did not seem to accept her words and glared at the Demi-Servant. "Not giving a proper answer? For that, your sentence shall be a quick death!" Then the King of Knights raised the sword and summoned the dark energy once more to power her noble Phantasm.

"She can use her Noble Phantasm again?!" Olga Marie never imagined how much prana Saber had so far to the point of using her strongest attack multiple times.

"Go ahead! I won't allow you to hurt him!" proclaimed Mashu as she held her ground as Aka lied unconscious while Saber swung her Noble Phantasm, reigniting the struggle between the shield and sword.

* * *

Back at the fight between Archer, Caster the Kamen Riders, Archer had Caster in a difficult position with his sword at the man's neck. Ex-Aid and Den-O stood in front of him frozen in place as any sudden movement could result in the death of their ally.

"It looks like this is the end." Archer stated as he held Caster captive while Ex-Aid and Den-O tried to think of a way to help the Servant.

"Will that shield resist the sword? Or will that sword pierce the shield?"

"A long time ago, I heard something similar to that." Archer responded impatiently.

"Oh? And what was the answer?" asked Caster.

"The answer was a 'paradox.' Only a contradiction was produced." Archer responded.

"Hey kid, do you know what they are talking?" whispered Den-O.

"It's actually a famous conundrum of which would best the other in combat. The shield? Or the Sword or Spear?" responded Ex-Aid as he still tried to come up with an idea.

"So who are they referring to?"

"I think Mashu and Saber." Ex-Aid said as he gave a quick glance to the area where the purple light was still bright.

"Hah. I don't know about that. I always think the same thing about the story. If both things are equal, then isn't it all down to the skill of those using them?" Caster wondered aloud. "Or let me put it another way. If you're losing because of the weapon's performance, then it's humans that compensate with wisdom, yes?" Then the spell using Servant lifted his left hand and flicked a stone in front of Archer's face. Suddenly the stone flashed with light before exploding, blinding the bow wielding Servant, forcing him back. But the enemy Servant stabbed his sword into Caster's back, much to the horror of the Kamen Riders.

"Caster!" shouted Ex-Aid, horrified that another person died and he couldn't do anything to help.

"Pinkie! Get ready for a hissatsu!" shouted Den-O much to the younger Kamen Rider's surprise.

Archer smirked but he gave a confused look as he couldn't move his swords and hands. The reason was that there were roots growing out of Caster's back which wrapped around his hands. Then the seemingly killed man turned into a wood before he literally moved his flesh and body out of a line splitting the statue. Though Caster was unhurt by the attack from the back, he did had to give up his upper fur coat and shirt.

"Don't underestimate a Sage of the Forest!" shouted Caster as he fully jumped out of the way and Archer was forced to discard his current swords as the statue flashed into light before exploding in a cloud of ash.

"Now kid!" shouted Den-O as the two ran through the cloud and slammed their respective weapons into Archer's stomach. Then they took out their respective finisher items which was Den-O passing the black container over the center of his buckle while Ex-Aid took out his cartridge and inserted it into a slot on his hammer.

"FULL CHARGE!"

"SHAKARIKI! CRITICAL FINISH!" announced the hammer as a bicycle wheel aura formed on the hammer head.

"Our Hissatsu! Critical Version!" shouted Den-O as his sword lit up with a red energy.

The two Riders swung forward and sent Archer flying into the ground with pavement bricks smashed and dust erupting into the air. When the dust cleared, the enemy Servant slowly stood up but his body felt the effects of the energies of the simultaneous attacks immobilizing his body's movements.

"Sorry. I'm all new to this. But I'm glad for the assistance!" Caster said as he landed on the roof of the Japanese temple. Then he pointed his staff at the enemy Servant as a red flash before a circle of fire surrounded Archer. Suddenly, a large wooden hand grabbed the Servant of the Bow and crushed him in its grip before slamming his down into the ground. Caster dismissed the hand and Archer was seen on the ground unconscious with heavy wounds on his body. Then he slowly disappeared into light and particles similar to the earlier Servants in the singularity.

"Caster! You're all right!" shouted Ex-Aid as he jumped onto the roof of the building with ease.

"Sorry about the scare. But I needed you to act genuine to trick the bastard in our trap." The man apologized to the pink Kamen Rider.

"Our? Wait, are you saying that Den-O-sempai was in your plan?"

"Of course! Those eyes on your mask are way too expressive!" Caster pointed out.

"Really?! Aw man…" Ex-Aid sighed with his eyes closing with a little sadness.

"I should be the one saying that! At least you have more stuff compared to us older Riders!" shouted Den-O as he climbed up onto the roof before turning to Caster. "Besides that, where did you get that stone? It really helped us out otherwise we would have been stuck there all night."

Caster tossed the stone he still had and caught it. "True. It's just something that was better than nothing. Now then, let's go assist our friends back there." Then the Servant turned to the purple glow followed by the Kamen Riders.

* * *

At the battle between Shielder and Saber, the Servant of the Sword kept her Noble Phantasm's beam on Mashu's shield which held strong against the attack. As the attack continued, Aka was still unconscious on the floor, Olga Marie and Fou could only watch the seemingly futile battle.

* * *

Then the redhead opened his eyes except that he was not where he thought he was. "Where am I?" Aka wondered as he sat up and looked around a white void.

" **Welcome, Chosen number 41.** "

The redhead gave an alarmed look before he looked behind him only to see the void.

" **Do you have what it takes to save humanity**?"

Aka stood up while deeply about the question. Then he remembered the cruel then scared faces of the people he killed with little-to-no hesitation. "No… I don't."

" **Interesting… And why is that?** "

"A savior is someone who spares the lives of the sinned so they can travel on a path of redemption." Aka responded automatically.

" **Then… do you wish to be a protector?** "

"I don't think that would suit me either…" Aka gained a visualization of Mashu who wielded her shield. "A protector has a reason, a cause to believe in so they raise their arms to protect."

"… **Do you seek adventure?** "

"Adventurers are no different from discoverers… seekers of hidden truths of the past or creating maps for the future generations to follow. I'm not one for such things, though."

"… **Then how about a hero?** "

"Hero? Heroes are people whose battles and lives are told in legends and stories. Feats that seemed nigh-impossible. I'm just a soldier, so there's no need for me to be remembered as some legend."

" **You have made the correct answers. Very few show such a mindset, but you have the prerequisites to become the Record.** "

"Record?" wondered Aka.

* * *

From the streets of the destroyed city, a large amount of rubble was seen before something burst out of it and flew into the sky. The object flew at an incredible speed that if anyone were to see, they would mistake it for a shooting star. Ghost was seen flying through the air before he noticed a flying projectile coming right at him. The warrior quickly dodged the attack as it flew past him and towards its location.

"What the?" wondered Ghost before his mind finally registered what past him. "A flying book? Then that means its the book that Owner told Ex-Aid to deliver!" Then Ghost quickly increased his flight speed to follow the book.

* * *

Back in the cave, Mashu herself weakened as she continued to hold her shield against the seemingly endless Noble Phantasm. Olga Marie looked worried as the battle may end in Chaldea's loss until something smashed through the ceiling of the room. She looked up and saw that the object was a tome with metal plating and a black cover.

"What the? A tome with a blank cover?" wondered Olga Marie.

* * *

" **History have become distorted, resulting in your future being lost… Record is the Will of History that will correct the distortions. So do you wish to take on this burden?** "

Then a book materialized in front of Aka as the voice asked him. "…"

" _Go ahead! I won't allow you to hurt him!_ " echoed Mashu's voice.

"Mashu!" The former soldier realized that his fight wasn't over and looked to the void. "…Tell me, if I become Record can I identify Noble Phantasms?"

" **Yes, and much more-** "

"I'm fine with it then! I will take on the burden known as Record, but… I'll do it on my own terms!" The young man stated before grabbing book in front of him.

" **Chosen wielder's agreement confirmed… Preparing armor sequence. Say activation code: Henshin for confirmation.** "

* * *

Back in the real world, Aka was still unconscious as Mashu held her own against the Noble Phantasm. Then the armored girl felt her knees give out and she barely could hold her shield. "Henshin." Aka whispered as his eyes opened.

" **Activation Code: Accepted.** "

In response, the book flew towards him and attached onto his right arm as the redhead got up.

" **REAWAKEN THE HEROES!** "

Then it opened up to allow thousands of pages to fly out of it and swirl around the redhead's body as he stood up. The pages stuck to his form as he stood up and walked towards Mashu. Then paper white turned into a metallic black, Aka could feel his body become encased in metal with his left arm receiving a white steel gauntlet, his legs receiving white steel greaves, and his chest encased in fitting chestplating with a symbol on the center. He placed his left hand on Mashu's right hand and placed his right hand on her back, catching her attention.

"Sempai…" said Mashu who was relieved that he was fine.

"Sorry for sleeping on the job, Mashu." Aka said with a small smile. "From here on as your Master, I'll do what I can to help." Then the book attached to his right forearm opened to allow a page to fly out. Then the page flew in front of Mashu's face before an illustration of her was drawn followed by the following details.

* * *

 **Servant: Mashu Kyrielite**

 **Class: Shielder**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: D**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: C**

 **Noble Phantasm: ?**

* * *

The redhead read the page until his eyes widened upon seeing that the name for her Noble Phantasm was blurred out. "The name…" he muttered in shock before composing himself. For some reason despite the lacking part of Mashu's Noble Phantasm, Aka felt the page was enough. He turned to the girl and gave a strong smile. "No, now is not time to give up our will to fight. I believe in you, Mashu. So by my command as your Master, use your Noble Phantasm." Upon the order statement, the Command Seal emblazoned on the redhead's left armored hand before the outer pattern of the mark glowed red.

Suddenly, Mashu's body glowed white as she felt her strength return to her before it dimmed. She closed her eyes as she felt her body feel lighter before opening her eyes with a determined face. She stood up once more with the support of her Master and her shield tightly. The page floated nearby before glowing as if anticipating a change in the Demi-Servant.

"Please watch me, Master." Mashu requested to the young man, silently knowing his answer. Aka stared forward with a determined face and stance as he gripped her shield-wielding hand tightly. The massive shield glowed with power and light then a massive circular shield made of light formed from it. The shield of light expanded until its diameter nearly reached around the length of a very large semi-trailer-truck. The Excalibur Morgan of Saber was unable to overcome by the power of the shield Noble Phantasm, protecting the two from its destructive beam.

"The Noble Phantasm…" Olga Marie stared in awe at the manifestation of Mashu's shield Noble Phantasm.

Then the Noble Phantasm transformed into a hardlight stone wall akin to castle walls that was around the size of the circular shield. Mashu roared out as the beam impacting the wall was deflected and sent back at the enemy Servant. Upon seeing the wall, Saber realized to her shock what made the shield so familiar to her.

"That shield is…" Then the armored king was hit by her own Noble Phantasm attack, blasting the ground she was standing on to dust creating a large debris cloud. When the dust cleared, Saber was seen standing, but she appeared to be actually injured from the blowback of her own attack. She gritted her teeth in pain and anger at how her attack was deflected so easily.

Aka gave a sigh of relief. "We did it, Mashu." He turned to the girl who was looked exhausted after utilizing her Noble Phantasm. The redhead realized that the Shield Class Servant was on her last legs after the attack.

Mashu tried to stand straight, but her regained strength was fading fast, possibly due to activating her Noble Phantasm for the first time. The Demi-Servant slouched forward and the former soldier had to catch her while supporting her grip on her shield. In response to the girl's heavily weakened state, the Noble Phantasm was could not keep its form any longer. Soon, the wall started to deteriorate.

Aka turned to Saber who looked ready to kill them once and for all as her energy flared and she lifted her sword above her head. " **Excalibur** …" The redhead's eyes widened in fear and shock as the tables had turned once more onto Saber's favor, and he had nothing that could help him and Mashu out of the situation. Even the book on his arm seemed useless.

Then he felt Mashu stir and force her body upright, resulting in Aka supporting her as she stood straight. "I'm fine. It's not over yet…" said the girl with defiance despite her state. Aka face turned determined and he nodded in response before a helmet formed over his head which was featureless as if missing something key to its design.

Saber used what appeared to be what energy she had left and the sword was once more wrapped in dark energy. Mashu and Aka stood at the ready for one final clash between the shield and sword. Then a chant was heard throughout the cave.

" _My Magecraft is a Cage of Flames. A flaming yet verdant giant. Retribution. A shrine that purifies the evil of human affairs_."

Suddenly the cave's ceiling was smashed through once more, followed by the arrival of Kamen Riders Den-O and Ex-Aid who landed through the hole they made. The two landed behind Aka and Mashu who kept the wall up. Then the dust cloud they made cleared to reveal Caster who rushed forward passing the pair of Master and Servant.

"I'm proud you've held out this long." Caster commended as he jumped through the wall and landed in front of Saber who was still charging her Noble Phantasm. "The one who destroys… **WICKER MAN**!" Then he spun his staff and the top of it flashed red similar to his finishing act against Archer. Suddenly, the book on Aka's arm opened to allow a page to fly out and glow as the spell activated.

Under Saber, a magic circle formed before a giant humanoid statue made of wood with a cage-like torso came out. Due to its summoning being under her, Saber was now standing on the wood statue's head. She quickly jumped off as the wooden giant raised its hand to grab her only for it to miss as she agilely ran on the arm before preparing to chop its head off. But the giant quickly grabbed her in its other hand, preventing her from moving her limbs to attack. The giant opened the cage gate on its torso before throwing the enemy servant into the cage. After closing the gate, the giant fell forward onto a bed of flames that quickly engulfed it and the victim inside. Everyone present felt a vacuum of air as the flames grew strong before the now flaming giant burst into a pillar of fire that went through the ceiling of the room and into the cloudy heavens above.

When the fire ceded, the ash and smoke cleared, Saber stood silently tall despite the damage she incurred from the attack. The glowing page now dimmed to reveal an illustration of the wooden giant with the title, Wicker Man, before it flew into Aka's hands.

Saber stared at Aka and Mashu as they stood on the opposite ends of the shield. Aka, now unmasked, stood at the right side while Mashu stood at the left. "Victory for the power that protects? I see… Such like that innocent one…" Then she smiled peacefully to the surprise of the group, a reverse of her threatening demeanor earlier. "Ultimately, no matter how fate changes, I face the same end when I'm alone." The woman said as her body slowly disappeared into golden light different from the Servants that the group defeated earlier.

"What does that mean?" asked Caster who wanted to know why Saber restarted the Holy Grail War. "Do you know something?"

"Eventually, you will come to know, Ireland's Child of light. The Grand Order…" Olga Marie gasped in surprise at how the enemy Servant knew about the subject called the Grand Order. "And the battle over the Holy Grail has just begun…" Saber gave a glance at Aka when he noticed that a book page materialized from her light before flying into his hands. "History's Will. If you require my services, look no further than the summoning system."

"Hey wait!" Caster shouted as he reached out. "What do you mean by…" Then the Servant felt that he was also disappearing into light. He quickly turned around to face Aka and Mashu. "Kid, young lady, I'm leaving the rest up to you!"

"Caster!" shouted Ex-Aid who could only make a pained expression at another ally disappearing in front of him.

"If there is a next time, summon me as a Lancer!" shouted Caster as he rested his staff on his shoulders. As he disappeared into light, a page formed and flew into Aka's hands.

"Don't worry, he will! You still owe me a match!" shouted Den-O with a tough tone though he will miss the guy he could somewhat work with.

Caster made a smile before he and Saber disappeared which the group could only silently sadden for the Servant who helped them through the conflict of Fuyuki. Then a golden glow took place where Saber stood and soon a golden crystal formed.

"Confirmed. Servants, Saber and Caster are now gone. Did we… win?" Mashu wondered.

"Yeah, we did…" Aka gave a sad glance at the pages he had in his hand. Then he opened the book and the pages in his hand flew in and fused with pages that were still connected with the book's binding. Soon, the illustrations of Saber and Caster were shown in their respective outfits. Saber wore her black armor with sword in hand and a mask was shown covering her eyes. Caster stood still with his fur hood up. Suddenly, the armor Aka wore deconstructed into pages then said pages disappeared into white particles.

"Sempai. What is that book?" asked Mashu who soon noticed the book attached to his right mechanical arm.

The redhead took it off his arm and looked at it, not noticing how light it was despite its size. He gave the metal plated book a look over as he responded. "Not sure. One moment, I was in some kind of void with a strange voice telling me I can become something called the Record. The next, I'm here helping you as my body was armored and this book was on my right arm." He gestured to his right arm which now had a brace component for the book.

"Fou!" shouted Fou as it ran to Mashu and Aka then jumped onto her face before climbing onto her shoulder. Aka smiled a bit before turning to see the Kamen Riders approached the pair.

"Thank goodness you two are fine." Ex-Aid said as his eyes gave a happy expression.

Then the two smiled a bit to the pink Kamen Rider before they turned to Den-O. "We should be saying the same thing to you two." Mashu said. "Facing a Servant is no easy feat but is it a relief that you two are still alive."

"Yeah, but we survived because we Kamen Riders are awesome!" boasted Den-O, not mentioning how Caster had to protect them from several close calls. "After all, we-" Then Den-O noticed the book in Aka's hands. "AAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" screamed the train Kamen Rider as he pointed at the book in the former soldier's hands. "Th-Th-Th-That book! Where did you find it?"

The redhead looked at the book before he scratched his head in puzzlement. "This? Well… I'm not sure. Sir? Do you know how did this book come into my possession?" asked Aka as he turned to said person. But the young woman remained silent from her spot as she had furrowed her brows in thought and worry. "Sir?"

"Grand Order… How did that Servant know about that name?"

The former soldier's face turned into a worried one before he turned back to Mashu and the Riders. The group decide to approach her while Aka decided to ask her again with a different question. "Director? Is something the matter?" asked the redhead.

Olga Marie snapped out of her thoughts when she turned to the group who looked worried when she didn't respond earlier. "Oh…" She gave a small smile to hide her worries and congratulate the two for a job well done. "Well done, Mashu and Aka." Then Fou decided to jump onto the redhead's shoulder before the director continued her congratulations. "Mashu. Even if you're inexperienced, or even if you're a temporary Servant… You still made a wish and the Shield opened to you." Mashu nodded in response. "Even if you do acquire the True Name, you didn't have the slightest interest in becoming that Heroic Spirit. I'm sure that's why the Noble Phantasm responded to you." Then she turned away with a sigh before gesturing her hand out that a miracle occurred in the girl's time in need. "That's some fairy tale." Then she gave a tired glance towards the two. "I'm just teasing you. Never mind me."

"Huh, I never expected you to be the teasing type, sir." Aka said with a surprised and stunned tone.

His statement caused the director to narrow her eyes in anger. "And what is that supposed to mean?! You're one to talk! You said you never had training in Magecraft yet you could manipulate prana so efficiently that you managed to send back a Noble Phantasm! I never even heard of such a reckless method in the Clock Tower or the Mage's Association! And that tome in your hands, Aka, smashed through the ceiling from over there and soon flew towards you! There is just so much ridiculousness I can take today!" shouted Olga Marie as she leaned forward and poked the redhead's chest in frustration.

"I see, sir…" Aka said with his hands raised up as he felt a bit regretful pointing out that one thing without realizing that the director was on her last ropes already.

"Calm down, director. I'm sure sempai didn't mean that earlier." Mashu said as she pulled the young woman away from the redhead who let out a breath in relief. Then he narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the book. Just what was this metal plated book, no, tome?

"Fine. But it is inconvenient using a Noble Phantasm without a True Name." Olga Marie pointed out.

"Is a name really necessary?" asked Aka before he got hit in the back of the head by the flat surface of Den-O's blade.

"Idiot! Don't think that names are insignificant! They are what separate the most legendary weapons from the weak ass small fry! Did King Arthur wield some blade as he charged into battle? No! He wielded the most badass sword of asskicking that its name is still echoed through the ages! Excalibur! In other words, Names give purpose!" boasted Den-O as he got his mask into the redhead's face before standing back. "Otherwise I would be stuck as 'train guy' or Ex-Aid here would be stuck a 'pink gamer!'"

Aka realized that the Kamen Rider's words had significant proof. He was just a nameless soldier created among a group of similar weaponized soldiers, ready to charge into the battlefield. When Syforce gave him a name, despite how unoriginal it was, it actually helped his develop his own identity. "I see… I'm sorry for my ignorance, Director and Mister Den-O." Then the redhead bowed to the two in apology.

"Hmph, as long as you understand." Den-O folded his arms while turning away.

Olga Marie gave a nod before turning back to Mashu as she cupped her chin in thought. "Now that's out of the way. I'll think of a good spell for you." Then she glanced at the armored girl before turning to the shield. "How about Lord Chaldeas?" suggested the director with a smile. "The name Chaldea has a meaning for you too, doesn't it?"

"Yes!" Then Mashu gave smile and a short bow to the director. "Thank you, Director." Then she turned to her shield, now dubbed: Lord Chaldeas. "Lord Chaldeas…"

Aka gave the name some thought before nodding in agreement. "That's a pretty fitting name, sir." The soldier commended with a small smile and the director also smile to him. Then the redhead noticed that the tome was glowing a bit. He opened to where the glow was to reveal Mashu's page which had new information on it:

* * *

 **Servant: Mashu Kyrielite**

 **Class: Shielder**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: D**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: C**

 **Noble Phantasm: Lord Chaldeas**

* * *

"It updated itself?" wondered Aka as the group also noticed the page showed Mashu's Servant parameters.

"This tome… it's definitely different from any magecraft tome I had ever seen." Olga Marie commented. "But where did it come from?"

"Well…" Then the Chaldea members turned to Ex-Aid. "We were the ones who were told to deliver it to you, Aka-san."

The group was surprised and the director demanded that the Kamen Riders tell them what was the tome, but the two said that they had no idea what it was.

* * *

From above the group, Ghost poked his head through the solid stone to look around the cave ever since he saw the pillar of fire. Then he turned his head until he noticed the group in the distance.

" _There they are! Thank goodness, everyone is safe!_ " Then orange apparition was relieved that his friends were safe until he noticed that there was someone standing on top of the hill near the purple light. " _Huh? Who's that?_ "

* * *

A beep was heard from the director as she rolled up her sleeve to reveal the wrist device which allow Roman to communicate. "Good work, everyone. It looks like I can't get any visuals from here so I can't see your happy faces. Director, now we don't have to worry about Singularity F…"

Then the sound of clapping was heard, catching the group's attention with shock and worry on their faces. The group stared up to see a silhouette standing at the top of the hill.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry for cutting this at a critical moment, but I realized that I couldn't fit all of the events of the last part of the First Order all into this chapter. So I promise that the next part will be the conclusion of this arc. Try to bear with me as I type up the last part.**

 **Next, I know there are going to be complications about the Kamen Riders' presence in the Fate Universe, but I realized that if they really existed anonymously… then there is something that is creating them in this universe. So in a sense, they are Counter Guardians not chosen by the Root, but naturally existing because of Ichigou's Will. I won't go into full detail context and I know Counter Guardians are killers. But aren't Kamen Riders the same thing? They do kill their respective enemies, no matter how flashy their attacks are. Just some things to think about.**

 **Then there is the existence of Kurogasa Kururugi in this story. His appearance in this fic serves as a sort of partner and mentor to my OC. Kurogasa is basically the normal factor in this story. I want to try to make him a friendly, but serious person that his creator wanted him to be. In another case, I chose to write Kurogasa in as a sort of respect to Fennikisumaru. It was because of him that I got into the Kamen Rider in the first place. Well, him, Kamen Rider Fourze, and Kamen Rider Dragon Knight/Ryuki.**

 **My OC may appear boring and a one-sided personality, but he is designed to act like that at first. The reason is that he is born literally to fight and take orders, no different from soldiers we have seen in the past. I understand people have something against soldier characters, but I wanted to try building a character who has literally experienced what it means to fight, but remained completely innocent through all of the killing he has done. His self-awareness or emotional quotient was sealed off due to a lack of identity and exposure to peaceful elements. He's basically a kid given a knife and told killing and following orders are completely normal, so for him there's nothing to be guilty about. Seriously, that's how scarily easy it would be. Remember Setsuna from Gundam 00?**

 **Now in comes a certain Counter Guardian who instills the first feeling the redhead feels: fear. After surviving the encounter, he meets Kurogasa who names the nameless soldier with a name that may seem unoriginal, but it creates an identity that is the first step to Aka's self-awareness. After years of observing normal soldiers' interactions and listening to their stories of families and friends, Aka becomes self-aware enough to leave the military despite his status as its weapon. I won't delve too deeply into the "personal business" he had to take care of, but he succeeded and now arrives in Chaldea without realizing what fate has in store for him.**

 **Now what was his past with that certain Counter Guardian? I'll leave it up to your imaginations as I think of how to build their first interactions if the redhead ever summons him.**

 **Story Update Jan 23, 2017: I'm removing Kurogasa from the story under the insistence of his creator.**


	5. Chapter 1-4: First Order Pt 4 (Arc End)

**Chapter 1-4: First Order Part 4**

* * *

In the room where the Holy Grail rested, the Group of Chaldea members and the Kamen Riders stared at the top of the hill where a person stood. They gave serious and cautious expression at whoever was clapping on the hilltop. Then a voice spoke as the group saw the figure was a familiar man. "My, I never thought you would all get this far. This is an unforeseen element that goes beyond what my tolerance allows."

"You're…" Aka's eyes widened in surprise at who was standing far in front of the group.

Mashu looked hopeful as she looked up to the man. "Professor Lev?"

"Professor Lev, you say?" asked Roman over the communicator.

"A friend of yours?" asked Ex-Aid as he turned to the Demi-Servant.

"Yes. I'm glad he's fine." Mashu said.

"Something smells off." Den-O muttered as his sense of smell smelt some sort of rust coming off the man. "And I don't like it."

Olga Marie was stunned as she stared at the familiar form of the Professor who stood at the top of the hill with a dark expression. The director's eyes cried a bit in happiness as she ran forward to meet the man. "Lev… Lev!" As she ran with a happy expression, there was something ominous about the professor. "Lev! Thank goodness, you're alive! Without you, I don't know what I'd…"

"Hi Olga. It seems you've had a rough time, too." Lev said with a calm tone and smile.

"Yes, that's exactly right, Lev!" shouted Olga Marie her smile still present. "With all the unexpected events, I thought I would go crazy!"

From above, the apparition watched the exchange and noticed that there was a dark aura around the man. Then he noticed that the girl was running towards him.

" _Director?! Get back, he isn't human!_ " shouted Ghost as he phased through the wall and tried to enter the room only to hit a barrier due to the purple light that shocked him a bit. Then he rematerialized and crashed near the group.

"Ghost?!" shouted Ex-Aid as he ran to the electrocuted apparition Kamen Rider.

"The director… She's in danger!" Ghost got out as he stood up with a little help.

"What?!" Ex-Aid said with shock as he turned to the running girl with worry.

* * *

"But now that you're here, we'll get through it somehow, won't we?" shouted the relieved girl as she continued to run.

"Of course." The man answered, much to her happiness. "I'm so furious with all these unexpected events."

"Romani, I told you to come to the control room right away."

"Lev?" Roman wondered to his surprise.

"And you, Olga…" The girl looked up in wonder as Lev continued to talk. "I planted the bomb under your feet. I can't believe that you're still alive."

* * *

Aka's eyes widened before he ran into a sprint along with Ex-Aid, Ghost, and Den-O who had their weapons raised. But when they got within 30 feet from the director, their bodies were repelled backwards by an extremely powerful force. The four flew a couple of feet before crashing into the ground with dust erupting as they landed. Noticeably, Ex-Aid's extra armor fell off and along with the cartridge in the second slot.

"Sempai!" shouted Mashu as the redhead painfully stood up along with the Kamen Riders.

"Ugh… Now's not the time to worry about me, Mashu! The director's life is in danger!" shouted Aka as he stood up despite the damage to his body.

* * *

Olga Marie had turned around to witness Aka and the Kamen Riders' failed rescue attempt. Then she turned back to Lev with a nervous face as perspiration fell from her forehead. "Well, not exactly alive." Then Lev smiled with his gums showing and his eyes were slit. "In fact, you're dead. Your physical body that is."

Olga Marie widened her eyes in shock along with Aka and Mashu who did not believe the man's words.

Aka gasped in shock as he never even heard of such a possibility till now.

"No…" Mashu covered her mouth in disbelief.

Then Lev continued his cruel but true analysis. "When you were alive, you didn't have an aptitude for Rayshifting. You couldn't make a transfer when you had a physical body. But you had an earnest desire for it, that right as you died, you obtained the aptitude."

"Lies…" Olga Marie said as the light in her eyes dimmed in hopelessness and disbelief that the very person she looked toward for help was the one who betrayed her.

"That's why, the moment you return to Chaldea, your consciousness will cease to exist." Lav stated the cold truth to Olga Marie's condition.

"I'll cease to exist?!" The girl looked horrified as she was shocked.

* * *

"What? **No!** " Then Ghost charged forward with his weapon raised and smashed against the force field only to feel it recoil and his arm jerked forcefully back. Then he slammed down once more and the same result happened. But the ghost-like Rider kept trying to break down the field even as he felt his right hand bleed heavily along with his muscles straining. "Director! Marie-san! You're going to live! We will find a way!" shouted Ghost even as the blood bled from the cracks of his armored right hand and onto his sword.

"That idiot! Come on, let's help him!" shouted Den-O as he also charged forward and slammed his sword along with the younger Kamen Rider onto the force field. Ex-Aid also joined in and Mashu and Aka nodded to each other and they raised her shield to act as a battering ram to smash the force field. The three kept attacking the force field to save the director of Chaldea.

* * *

"Hold on a minute…I can't go back…to Chaldea?" Olga Marie repeated what Lev said to this point much to her horror. She had worked so hard as director ever since she inherited the position from her late father. As much as she resented him, he did have good intentions and she wished to see them through. But now… if she went back, her very existence would cease to exist.

"Indeed. But that's too miserable to contemplate. You dedicated your life to Chaldea…" Lev said as he raised his hand, causing the forgotten golden crystal to shift from it position. Then it flew from the crate and into the treacherous professor's open palm. "So the least I can do is show you what's going on." The crystal flashed before it entered his hand with a golden glow. Then with a snap of his fingers, the professor summoned a large vortex that showed the globe known as Chaldeas.

* * *

"What is that?!" shouted Den-O.

"Chaldeas?!" shouted Mashu who did not expect the professor to possess such incredible magecraft.

"Focus on breaking down the force field!" shouted Aka, reigniting the group's effort to continue their efforts in attacking the forcefield.

"Stop! Stop! We need a new plan!" shouted Ex-Aid causing everyone to stop after feeling that none of their attacks were doing enough. "None of our attacks are doing enough damage to the force field!"

"We noticed! Do you have another plan, Pinky?" Den-O said before he kicked the force field, but that may not had been a smart move on his part. With the repelling nature of the force field, it sent his leg back, causing the train Rider tripped forward and land on the ground face-first. "Damn it! Ow…"

"Um…"

Aka also gave it some thought before remembering a pile bunker system some weaponized soldiers used to smash through steel shields or walls. He turned to Mashu's shield and he remembered how Ghost used a powerful kick to kill Berserker. What if… "I got one, are you three still in good enough condition to use your strongest attacks?"

Then Ghost, Ex-Aid, and an already back up Den-O turned to the redhead after they were discussing what to do. "Yeah, we still got enough juice to dish out our finishers, why?"

"Mashu, we're going to use your shield as a makeshift pile bunker."

"A pile bunker? Can we do it?" asked the armored girl.

"Your shield managed to kill Berserker with the help of Ghost's kick. If one kick is enough to kill a Servant, then three should be able to smash through that forcefield." Aka pointed to the invisible field.

"I see, strike at a single point rather than several!" Ex-Aid concluded. "Let's do it!"

"Yes, this may be the only way we need to save the director!" shouted Ghost.

* * *

Back at Olga Marie's side, the girl was scared and stared at the globe of Chaldeas with disbelieving eyes. "W-What is this?! It's not real is it? That's just a virtual image, right, Lev?"

"It's a real thing. I linked space-time together for you. You see, with the power of the Holy Grail, even this is possible." Lev stated with his smile still present.

From Roman and Yule's side, they saw the space time rip known as a black hole with a view of the cavern room.

* * *

"Oi! You're not the one who won it! We did!" shouted Den-O who hated that the man stole the Grail.

"Sempai, focus!" shouted Ghost.

"Everyone, ready?" asked Aka as Mashu prepared to jump with her shield at the ready.

"Ready!" shouted the Kamen Riders as they took out they did their respective preparations.

"FULL CHARGE!" announced Den-O's belt as red electricity charged into his foot.

"MIGHTY CRITICAL STRIKE!" announced Ex-Aid's belt as flashy colors and energy akin to street art charged into his foot.

"DAI KAIGAN: ORE OMEGA DRIVE!" announced Ghost's belt an orange energy mist charged his foot.

"Mashu, now!" signaled Aka.

"Roger!" shouted Mashu as she jumped high followed by the Kamen Riders. She positioned her shield and slammed its long end into the force field. Then the three Kamen Riders flew in with their respective kicks smashing into the top of the shield, increasing the force and causing their energies to slowly crack the shield before it broke. The four landed and ran to the director with the redhead following after them.

* * *

"So take a good look, scion of the Animusphere family. This is the fate of your family's lunacy." Lev said as he raised his glowed which glowed and the same glow came over Olga Marie. Then she floated from the ground she was

Shocked as he watched the director fly towards her doom, Aka prepare to jump forward to help. "Sir!"

"No sempai!" shouted Mashu as she grabbed him.

"But…"

"No… No, somebody! Somebody help me! Why? Why does this always happen to me?" Olga Marie cried and pleaded for help as she was being dragged. "No, not yet! No! I mean, I haven't done anything yet! No one's ever praised me for anything yet!" As she was dragged towards the globe's surface, she still wanted to be saved. " _Someone please… Save me…_ "

" _MARIE-SAN_!" shouted Kamen Rider Ghost. Suddenly, a burst of light exploded from the Kamen Rider's body along with an orange glow from Aka's book. Then he shot off with an incredible bang as if he took off at Mach 1, shattering the ground from where he stood. The group held their hands up from the dust and looked up to watch Ghost fly. Then the book on Aka's right arm opened and a page flew out, following the apparition Kamen Rider. Like a shooting star, he grabbed Marie before she could touch the surface of the globe's surface.

"What?! Another unexpected factor?!" shouted Lev who did not expect the interference.

Landing in front of the group while holding the girl in his arms, the glow that enveloped Ghost slowly dimmed till his was back to normal. The page the glowed with him soon reentered the book on Aka's right arm. Aka gave a suspicious glance at the book before waving it off in favor of the director's well-being.

The chief opened her eyes and looked up to see the Rider's mask. "Takeru?"

"Director! Thank goodness you're all right!" shouted Ex-Aid with a smile.

"Oi, Glowey! Since when can you fly at supersonic speed?" asked Den-O.

"I don't know… I wanted to help Marie-san so I just flew."

"Either way, you saved the director!" Ex-Aid said with his eyes signifying something akin to a happy mood.

"Sir, are you all right?" asked Aka as he and Mashu approached her with worry in their eyes.

"Yes, but… Even if I go with you, then…" Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned towards Ghost.

"As I said before, Marie-san, don't lose hope. Your soul still burns bright, so I may be able to help." Ghost said as he took out a white sphere before tracing an eye-like symbol over the girl. Then she felt a glow over her body as the sphere entered her chest. "There, that will keep you grounded in existence when you return back to your time."

"It seems I missed a few… Nonetheless…" stated Lev with a calm expression.

Then Aka and Mashu along with the Riders felt something dangerous about the man in front of them. They prepared themselves as they drew their weapons in preparation for battle. Mashu positioned herself in front of Aka while redhead positioned himself in front of Olga. "Sempai…"

"Yeah… I know." Aka grit his teeth.

"You all could tell I was a fundamentally different creature couldn't you?" asked the man.

"Hmph, of course! You practically reeked of super evil Kaijin!" retorted Den-O as he rested his sword on his shoulder while pointing at the man.

"Shounen, along with the 48th candidate with master potential… I turned a blind eye to you two because you both held no promise. Why do humans always want to avoid the course of fate that is chosen for them? I will introduce myself once more…" The man made a gesture of introduction as he kept his cruel smile. "I am Lev Lynor Flauros. I am the charge of 2016, tasked to dispose of your Human race. You are listening, Doctor Roman?"

"Professor Lev."

"As fellow students who studied sorcery together, I will give you one final advice. The future has not disappeared. It's been incinerated. Chaldea is probably being protected by the magnetic field of Chaldeas, but I'm sure the outside is meeting the same fate as Fuyuki."

* * *

Back at Roman's side, he already came to the conclusion of why he couldn't contact the outside. "The reason we aren't able to make contact with the outside isn't because communications are down, but because there's no one outside to receive them."

Hitting the desk in frustration, the Yule narrowed his eyes. "Then that means my family… my friends… they're all gone!" shouted the young man with a downtrodden expression before closing his eyes and gripping his fist tightly.

* * *

"N-No…" Marie muttered with a hopeless expression as she fell to her knees.

"You… are you responsible for the disappearance of our present?" shouted Ex-Aid with an angered tone.

"Not only that, but the disappearance of our friends and allies?" Ghost shouted as he kept his stance.

"Che… So because of you that my beloved Denliner got wrecked! I'm going to kick your ass!" shouted Den-O as he prepared to charge the man.

"Hold it, sempai!" shouted Ex-Aid as he held the older Kamen Rider back.

"You will all not perish from becoming an evolutionary dead, nor will you not be destroyed after engaging a war with multiple races. Rather, from your meaningless, and incompetence, and because you have lost favor with our king…" stated Lev calmly, dismissing the Kamen Riders and the Chaldea members who stand against him.

"King?" questioned Ghost.

"…you will burn away like useless wastepaper, leaving no trace behind!" shouted the man with glee at the thought of humanity's extinction.

The group prepared to fight, but they felt the ground itself shake. "An earthquake?" wondered Aka as he looked around in alarm.

"No… This is…"

"This Singularity has also reached its limit, eh? The accursed Saber caused me a lot of trouble, trying to maintain this time period even while being awarded the Holy Grail. And so, farewell, Marie, Romani, Mashu, 48th potential, and Shounen the Record." Then the man in the green coat started levitate as the black hole connecting to Chaldea closed.

"Wait! Lev!" shouted Olga Marie as she reached out to him before the man disappeared into a golden light.

The cave shook further causing the group to gather closer as rocks dropped from the ceiling, nearly crushing them.

"The cave is collapsing!" shouted Mashu as she pulled her shield above their head with Aka's support. "No, even before that, this space is unstable!"

Marie revealed her wrist device to further communicate with Roman. "Romani! Please activate the rayshift, quickly!

"I know!" responded the doctor as he quickly went to work in typing in the appropriate commands

"Can you three handle it?" asked Aka as the conversation went on.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Ghost assured.

"Well, we don't really have a choice, our only way out of this time was wrecked."

"Hmph, we Riders have been through wor-" Then Den-O was cut off by the ground displacing under them, sending the group into the air. "WAAAHHHH!"

"KYAAAAH!" shouted Olga Marie before she was caught by Ghost.

"Got you!" shouted the phantom Rider as he flew and dodged the debris.

"Oi! Don't go picking up girls before your sempai, rookie!" shouted Den-O as he broke out of a rock pile to shake his fist in anger at the floating Rider.

Meanwhile Ex-Aid jumped quickly to dodge the falling debris.

"Mashu!" shouted Aka as he reached out to the girl with the shield.

"Sempai!" shouted Mashu as she reached out to the redhead. Their hands managed to reach and the two grasped each other before Ex-Aid caught them in midair and they landed on the unstable rock.

"What should we do?!" shouted Ghost as he continued to dodge the falling debris with the director in his arms.

"I don't know! First, we need to get out of here!" shouted Ex-Aid as he ran forward to the exit with the others following him. But several rocks landed in front of the passage, blocking their escape. "Damn it! The exit's closed off!"

"Are we… going to die?"

"No… After all we went through, we'll survive and return!" shouted Aka as something glowed at the center of his chest.

"S-Sempai?!"

"Huh?! What is this?" questioned the redhead as his body glowed with circuits lighting through his body then it turned into a golden aura.

"…ease… Respond! Chief! Do you copy?" shouted Roman.

"Doctor? We're still here!" announced Olga Marie.

"Thank goodness, I got through. Preparations are complete! Get ready to Rayshift!" shouted the man. Then the group saw their bodies glow with a blue light as a rock slowly fell on top of them.

* * *

After that there was darkness, before Aka opened his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling above him. "Ah!" The redhead quickly got up and look around the area which appeared to be med bay filled with sanitized beds. "Huh? Where is this?" He continued looking around before turning to the top of his left hand which still had the Command Spell except the outer pattern was faded or scratched off.

"Fou!" shouted a familiar cry.

"Huh?" The redhead turned to see the animal sit at a seat near him. "Fou! I see… we must have made it back. *Gasp* That's right! Where's Mashu?" Then the redhead looked around with worry in his eyes. After all the danger that happened, he nearly forgot about the Demi-Servant.

"Fou!" responded the white-furred creature before it jumped off the seat and ran to the mechanical door. It turned to him expecting him to follow.

"Follow you? All right." Aka got out of the bed and soon he was running through the halls of Chaldea following the creature.

* * *

Upon entering the very room where the Chaldea globe was located, the redhead had to walk through the wreckage to find Fou standing near Mashu's feet.

"Fou? What's wrong?" asked the girl as she bent down to look at the creature. Her clothing attire was now her original outfit.

"Mashu." Aka said with a relieved tone catching the light-lavender haired girl's attention.

"Good morning, sempai." The girl said with a smile.

"…Good morning, Mashu." Aka said with his formal tone in place as he approached her. Then the redhead hugged her with a relieved expression.

"Sempai…"

"Thank you… For having my back." Aka said as he continued to hug her.

"It's thanks to you, sempai." The girl said as she returned the hug.

"Ahem." Then the Mashu realized she was still in the presence of the other major members of the group and quickly panicked.

"Um… Sempai, the director is here!"

The redhead widened his eyes and quickly broke the hug. "Really?! Sir, excuse me for my lack of informality! I won't do so in your presence again!" shouted Aka as he saluted to the leader of Chaldea.

"It's all right, I'll let it slide this one time." waved off the director before Aka realized there was something different about her. Even though he wanted to ask, he rather not be interrupt her. "Doctor Romani, will you do the honors?"

"Of course." Then the man in question stood up with a serious expression. "First of all, congratulations on returning alive, Aka. Mashu, director, and Chaldea were saved because of you."

The redhead in question stood straight with a serious expression with a salute. "Thank you, sir! But… what about the Director's… um… condition?" asked Aka who sweated and nervously gave a quick look at said person.

Roman gave a similar nervous glance to the girl before scratching his cheek. "Well… we can't exactly bring back a dead body, so she's stuck like this."

"*Sigh* It's fine, Doctor. I should be thanking Takeru for saving me, despite my misgivings of this form." The young woman in question was now a floating jacket and dress modeled after her choice of wear with its sleeves acting as her arms, though her head and hair were partially transparent but still visible.

"This all I could do with the spare Eyecon I had, Marie-san. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help." The person in question apologized to the young woman.

"But what about that condition of the 90 days, kid?" asked Den-O who remembered about how the younger Rider became one in the first place.

"Well, according to Sennin, it only applies if she had a Ghost Driver similar to mines. I'm just glad I could save her soul before she disappeared." Takeru said with a smile.

"Ahem, can you two be quiet now?" The director in question said with an angered tone.

"S-Sorry!" shouted Takeru as he bowed in apology.

"Hmph." Den-O folded his arms in a huff.

"Back to the topic on hand, because of you six, the Fuyuki Singularity disappeared. However… seven new singularities have been discovered." Roman turned to the globe which was still red and there were seven different spots on it. "They're space-time disturbances that don't even compare to Fuyuki's. Using the Rayshift to each of these seven singularities and returning history to its rightful form. That's the only way to save humanity."

"I bet some of our guys are in there as well." Den-O stated as he pointed at the scarlet globe.

"But that means more of our comrades are still alive, trying to keep everything together!" said Emu with a smile.

"Aside from you and Yule-kun, all of the master potentials are in cryopreservation. Mashu is the only servant we have. Under the circumstances, I am practically forced to tell you this. But there is one more thing I need to say. 48th potential master, Yule Syforce Lumiventus, and 49th master, Aka. Are you two and your respective servants prepared to shoulder the responsibility of humanity's future?" asked Roman with a serious tone.

The older young man gave a nervous look with a gulp, but he kept his cool. "This is quite a big decision… But I'll do what I can." Yule answered with a determined look as this would be the first big thing he would be involved in.

Then the group turned to the redhead former soldier who stood tall, but also made a contemplating expression. "I was created for fighting, Doctor. But I wanted to leave the fighting all behind…" answered Aka causing the group to feel down from his statement. But the redhead turned to Mashu who knew what he was going to say next. "But… it seems like my battles haven't ended yet. So Mashu and I will do what we can to save our future. That is a duty I will at least take up."

"Thank you… those words have determined our fate." Roman said with a smile, relieved that he will help.

"Yes, from here on out, Chaldea will follow through on my father's plan to preserve the human race. And Roman, you will be in charge of operations." Olga Marie stated while facing the doctor.

"Of course." Roman complied without thinking before giving a surprised face as her decision. "Wait, D-Director, I'm in charge?! But-"

"My body is dead now so I am unfit for the duties of director of Chaldea. And since you are the highest ranking member on the staff, it is up to you to follow through on my plan." The young woman made a good point since she was now a poltergeist with only a jacket-like form to keep her soul from scattering apart.

"Yes ma'am! I'll do what I can to lead the operations!"

"Good. Our goals are to protect as well as to recover human history. The search objectives are holy relics from various eras, and the Holy Grail, appearing to be the cause. The opponent we must fight is history itself. Many Heroic Spirits, who are all legends, will be standing in our way. The only way to survive is by taking back the future in this way. No matter what sort of end awaits us… The name of the operation is Chaldea's last, but original objective… The order of humanity… Grand Order!" announced Olga Marie who waved her sleeve out in order to make a gesture of command.

"Grand Order, huh?" wondered Yule.

"Seems like our battles are only getting started." Emu said with a nervous tone, but his body language showed he was willing to accept the fight.

"Heh, sounds like my alley! I've been correcting the timeline long before you guys showed up!" proclaimed the Train Rider as he pointed to himself with pride.

"We will help whatever we can, Marie-san. But I must warn you that some Riders are not always going to be as nice as us." Takeru warned, having experience in encountering with less than stellar Kamen Riders.

"It's fine, we need all the help we can get for the battles ahead." Olga Marie said.

Then the door to the room of Chaldeas opened along with a new voice. "Aw~ Did I miss the beginning of the meeting already?" asked a woman, causing the group to turn to a beautiful woman who looked akin to the Mona Lisa while wearing an old outfit worn typically by men of Europe during the 15th - 16th Centuries with a mechanical gauntlet on her left arm. She walked forward with a smile before noticing the face of Takeru. "Oh? If it isn't the young man who stopped my Renaissance."

Takeru gave a dumbfounded look at the woman before asking. "Ano… Who are you, miss?"

"Oh right, I was a male when you fought me." The woman said with a snap of her fingers in realization. "I'm the mastermind behind the Renaissance that you stopped on the December of 2015!" boasted the black-haired woman with a bit of pride.

Taking the information in, Takeru now realized who the woman standing in front of him was. "EH?! **Leonardo Da Vinci**?!" shouted Takeru who did not expect to encounter the genius he defeated once more, except this time… he was a woman who took on the form of the famous beauty known as Mona Lisa. Not only that, she wasn't acting very hostile towards him.

"Yep! It's been a while, young man!" The woman said with a smiled as she approached him before patting him on the shoulder.

"Y-Yeah! It's nice to meet you again! But… aren't you angry that I stopped you?" asked Takeru, since she should had held a grudge against him.

"Angry? Well in truth, I wasn't exactly in my right mind when I pulled that stunt… I should actually be thanking you for stopping me! If it weren't for you, I would have destroyed the world's current beauty! Not how I would picture showing off my genius!" stated Da Vinci with a huff before widening her eyes upon realizing one certain fact. "But wait a minute… what are you doing here? It isn't even time for you to become Ghost just yet. It should still be Drive…"

"Well… I'm actually from the future of December 2016." Takeru answered.

"Takeru, how do you know one of our Heroic Spirits?" asked Olga Marie who looked a bit annoyed but intrigued.

"Well… I once fought her when she (actually he at the time) tried to bring about a recreation of the world with two other Renaissance members, Michelangelo, and Raffaello. Luckily, I managed to stop them with the help of Kamen Rider Drive who was with me during the crisis." Takeru recounted his story of meeting Da Vinci to the group.

"And I would have gotten away with it too! If it weren't for you meddling Kamen Riders!" said Da Vinci with a mock huff. The group gave either dumbfounded or puzzled looks at the Heroic Spirit.

"Seriously, Da Vinci-chan? Scooby Doo?" asked Roman with a deadpan face. He knew she was one for jokes at times, but an old show reference didn't seem like a good one.

"Well, I wanted to say that phrase if I ever encounter either Drive or Ghost here again!" responded Da Vinci with a teasing smile. Takeru gave a surprised look before smiling that the woman in front of him wasn't acting like the same malicious spirit he fought in past.

"Yes… Yes… While we all wish for you two to catch up, we need to start the next step in our agenda!" stated Olga Marie.

"Oh? And why should you be the one to give orders? Didn't you give your authority to Roman here?" asked Da Vinci who pointed out that fact which hit the former director like a back of bricks.

"Ugh! W-Well, this is only a temporary change in positions until we can find a way to make me a body!" stated Olga Marie who turned away from the genius who chuckled at her reaction.

"Um…" Aka raised his hand with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, Aka?" asked Roman.

"Who is Miss Da Vinci? I know she must have been someone famous… but I don't actually know her identity." Aka stated to the surprise of the group.

"Oh right! You weren't truly educated in such things, Aka!" Yule said before lightly smacking himself in the head. The redhead wasn't lying because he only learned how to survive in the wild or dealt with the dangerous conditions of the battlefield. "This woman here is Leonardo Da Vinci, a famous artist during the Renaissance period of Europe, a time when art and innovation was the buzz!"

"Excuse me, Yule, allow me to take over…" requested the woman in which the silver haired young man nodded in response. "As you know I am Leonardo Da Vinci, but you can call me Da Vinci-chan or Miss Da Vinci. It appears you are very uneducated by my history and any other sort of history, correct?" The woman gave off a gentle smile and demeanor as she spoke to the redhead in front of her. In her mind, she was curious about the boy because he definitely was something akin to a homunculus, but he was definitely human despite his artificial origin.

Aka gave a nod and an honest response. "Yes, my knowledge of history is somewhat null. I only lived and learned how to fight and survive."

Da Vinci appeared satisfied with his words and smiled. "Then how about I become your teacher, little soldier boy? I can show you the history of our world and what you have been missing out most of your life!" proclaimed the woman with an eager smile.

Aka only owlishly blinked a bit before asking, "Are you sure, Miss Da Vinci? I'm not exactly the best at learning…" He remembered how his sergeant would yell at him for taking apart a tank and rebuilding it within the same span of time it took to take apart and rebuild an assault rifle. Along with a few other incidents that involved someone yelling at him. Now he thought about it... he can only conclude he would cause frustration for anyone trying to teach him.

"Oh, pish-posh! If your mind can absorb it, then you can learn it! I heard from Romani that you were designed for fighting and all the like! But that doesn't have to be your destiny or only road in life!" stated Da Vinci with a finger point at the teen's face.

"Are you sure you aren't looking for someone to act as a guinea pig for your inventions?" asked Roman who knew the woman too well as he was also a victim of her experiments.

Then Da Vinci gave a look of shock and mock pain at his words. "*Gasp* Romani! How can you be saying such things when I do wish to use- I mean, teach this young soul the beauty of history, art, and the world?"

"Yeah… That would have been convincing if you didn't fumble." Roman said with a sweat drop and a deadpan stare.

The woman pouted before she returned to her smiling face. "Darn, but nonetheless, I do wish to teach you, young Master. In exchange, you help me with the development of my inventions." Then she opened her right hand as an offer to a handshake. "So do we have a deal?"

Aka looked surprised before staring the outstretched hand while thinking. This woman was very lively but also gave off an aura that she could be trusted. Finally choosing his decision, he nodded and shook her hand. "Yes, I'll learn what I can, Miss Da Vinci."

"Good~! Now Roman! On to the next order of business before our ghostly, semi-former director blows a fuse." Da Vinci said while noting the really red and angered face of Olga Marie who was impatient by the delay, but didn't comment or burst since it was unbecoming as head of a proud Magi family. That, and Takeru and Mashu managed to ease her impatience by noting that Aka does need a teacher if he was to enter different periods of time. It would be quite disadvantageous for the redhead if he couldn't identify who he was fighting in the singularities.

Roman gave a panicked face with wide eyes since he was subjected to the director's infamous rants in the past. "Y-Yes! *Ahem* Since we managed to repair the Rayshift system, the director and I had discussed if we should test the summoning system's functionality. We decided to go through with it with Aka here to help."

"A Master can have more than one servant, Doctor Archaman?" asked Aka whose puzzled yet stunned face showed he did not expect such an idea for backup.

"Normally, it isn't recommended due to the possible strain. But, Chaldea developed a system known as the **Guardian Heroic Spirit Summoning System 'FATE'**. This system was not exactly stable when you first came here, but when Mashu became the Demi-Servant, Shielder, and after some tests on her shield, it appears its functions are stable." Olga Marie explained further.

"So all we have to do is summon a Servant, correct?" asked Takeru.

"Yes, but the system will only work with people it has recognized as provisional Masters, like Aka here." Roman gestured to the redhead. Then the Kamen Riders turned to him as if expecting him to do something.

Yule elbowed the redhead's right side before whispering, "Show them your Command Spell."

"Oh." Then Aka took off his glove and held out his left hand which had the coat of arms with a faded outer pattern.

"That is a mark of a Master. But we haven't tested the possibility that you three could be provisional Masters." Roman assured the two younger Kamen Riders who looked a bit down while Den-O took it in stride.

"Nonetheless, we must test the summoning system's first summon." Olga Marie stated before she turned to Aka who made a serious look. "Aka, when the system activates, relax and repeat the chant I say word for word."

The redhead nodded in response before Roman opened a light screen and typed in a function. Then a pedestal risen from a nearby area from where the group stood and in front of Chaldeas. Da Vinci walked forward and placed several rainbow crystals on the pedestal. After that, several circuit-like rings formed around the pedestal before a hardlight version of Mashu's shield formed over the pedestal.

"Mashu's shield?" wondered Aka before he turned to the floating Olga Marie. "Sir, what is special about that shield?"

"It appears that Mashu's shield is made from a part of the Round Table from King Arthur's legend." The ghostly young woman answered. "It's foundation is actually useful for heroes to gather."

"I see…" Aka said as he narrowed his eyes.

"Now focus as I lead you step by step. First, hold the hand with the command seal out." Olga Marie ordered and Aka stretched out his left hand as instructed. "Next, we shall chant."

Aka nodded and let his breath out before he spoke the words that the director spoke as he felt something burning within his core and left arm. As he chanted, the tome shined a bit with its pages reacting.

 _ **Heed my words,**_

 _ **My will creates your body.**_

 _ **And Your sword creates my destiny.**_

 _ **The world's Order and Humanity's future has been lost,**_

 _ **Yet the bell of extinction has not tolled.**_

 _ **I hereby swear, that I shall be all the good in the world.**_

 _ **That I shall defeat all the evil in the world!**_

 _ **Seventh heaven clad, And great words of power,**_

 _ **Grant me the power to lead the Guardians of the Scales!**_

As the chanting took place, twelve orbs of light formed from the shield before they spread out and a magic circle formed over the shield. Then the orbs of light moved in a clockwise circle before becoming a ring of light. Suddenly, the ring of light glowed golden and expanded outwards into three more rings of light. As the rings spun, energy sparked in the center as wind blew with incredible power, causing the Kamen Riders took covered their faces with their arms. Meanwhile, Mashu and Da Vinci stood strong against the wind as the summoning appeared to be reaching its climax.

"Exciting, isn't it?" shouted Da Vinci as she watched in eagerness at the summoning's progress.

"Yes!" responded Mashu as she stared in awe.

With incredible speed, the spinning rings shrunk into the center energy spark, creating a flash of light. Then the flash transformed into a geyser of energy that slowly diminished to reveal the form of a person standing in front of the group. Standing in front of Aka and Olga Marie was a familiar woman, except she was wearing a different outfit. Her armor wasn't jet black, instead it was silver. Her clothing underneath wasn't black, it was blue with a white under clothes and a gold embroidery. Her hair wasn't pale blond, instead it was a golden blond. The woman slowly opened her eyes which were emerald green instead of draconic yellow.

The Servant walked forward with steady steps until she stood far from the pedestal. She spoke with a regal and even tone that wasn't threatening. "I am the Servant Saber. I ask of you, are you my Master?" asked the familiar Saber, but she appeared to not recognize them.

Everyone who had met the black version of the Servant who was standing before them, relaxed knowing she wasn't going to kill or attack them.

"Aka, now greet your new Servant." Olga Marie instructed with a gesture of her jacket sleeve.

Aka gave a surprised look before nodding confidently. "Understood." He turned to the Saber and approached her. "Hello Miss Saber… Um... I hope we can work together." The group gave dumbfounded looks at how awkward the redhead's introduction sounded.

"Are you all right, Master?" asked Saber who looked concerned about the stoic yet nervous young teen in front of her. Somehow, he reminded her so much of the redhead she came to fall in love with, yet there was something different about him…

"Yes, I'm fine-" Aka noticed that several spheres had formed from the shield projection. "What the? Doctor Archaman! The Summoning hasn't ceased!" shouted the redhead as he turned to the doctor.

"What?!" Roman turned to the console and noticed that the redhead was right. "Oh no, the FATE system is summoning another Servant!" shouted Roman as he rapidly typed into the console to deactivate the system except it won't respond.

"Turn it off, Romani!" shouted Olga Marie, worried that the system may overload.

"I'm trying but it won't respond!" shouted Roman as he typed into the console with the command again only to be denied again.

Then the summoning pattern took place once again, causing a reaction and summoning another Servant once again. But the figure that came out was a tanned male in a familiar red tail coat and black shirt. He walked forward to greet his new Master only to face two familiar faces. Saber was surprised at the appearance of the Archer from the 5th Holy Grail War, the mysterious man who had some form of grudge against her Master at the time. Aka stared at the tanned man with a hint of fear, but suddenly realized he was different. Somehow... he was more familiar than the man they encountered back in the Singularity.

The tanned man gave a widened eye look at the redhead in disbelief. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"

"You're..." Aka's eyes widened at the voice of the tanned man in front of him. A cynical and sarcastic frown along with a tired voice that would snark at the ridiculousness of whatever randomness occurred.

The familiar Archer sighed before he walked towards the redhead with a half-smile and patted his head. "It's been awhile, kid."

Aka looked stunned that he actually summoned the nameless Archer before smiling in relief. He looked down as his shoulders shook a bit, much to the worry of the people present. "It really is you… It has been a while…" The red-haired teen suddenly hugged the man. "Father."

The man could only chuckle with a smile as he returned the hug, much to the surprise of everyone present. Yule gave a surprised glance before smiling upon realizing who had Aka referred to as his father. Mashu did not expect her sempai to be raised by the Servant they summoned. The kamen riders were still new to this whole Servants and Magi deal, but they smiled to the scene.

"Archer?" asked Saber who did not expect Archer to be summoned from the same circle as her. Not only that, but how did he come to raise the young redhead who was now her new Master?

"Hey Saber, it seems like I've got some explaining to do…" Archer said as he scratched the back of his head nervously. Once more, fate was a such a pain in the ass when it came to him to deal with its problems. At least the redhead he "saved" managed to survive, and he reunited with Saber. ...Though she probably doesn't know who he was.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well it seems like I went with that idea... Oh well, no use complaining about it now.**

 **Now to all of you who wondered why Aka called Archer, Father. Well... that's what I meant by they had a history. An artificial soldier fighting against an Counter Guardian sounds like somewhat one-sided for the soldier. But what if there was something about the soldier that the ROOT wanted that guardian to protect? This version of Archer is after UBW, and what sort of job did the Root give him? To tell you the truth, I'm trying to think of one right now.**

 **Whether or not I will edit that last part out will be up to you people. But when I build the next few chapters, it's just going to be a bit of down time before the Second Order.**

 **Update Jan 28, 2017: Sheesh, you people really hate the name I gave him don't you? Well if you want to play the name game, then I'll make a riddle:**

 **Aka is a word that can be red, but to those who are mindful and seek Magic, it can mean something other than dead.**

 **Add the tome and you'll see, how meaningful the boy can be.**

 **Whether there is truth in these words, be wary, for his name is only two-thirds.**


	6. Chapter 2-1: Rest Before the Next Battle

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate Series or Kamen Rider Series except I own my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2-1: Rest Before the Next Battle Part 1**

* * *

(Shikisai- Sakamoto Maaya)

 _Instrumental_

Several pages fly through the air and gather into a book before being closed by a hand covered in armor.

"The Will of History, Record. What will fate bring him to as the curtain of the Grand Order rises?"

A close up view showed the featureless masked face of the hand's owner, Record. He turns around as the scenery is covered by a various amount of symbols along with seven cards which each depicts a different type of hero. Then the titles forms on the screen:

 **Kamen Rider Record: The Will and Grand Order**

/ **Hitori ni naru to kikoeru no** / - / **When I'm alone, I can hear the words/**

Aka is seen in a tube with several wires attached to his body with his eyes closed. Then he opens his eyes to find himself sitting in a battlefield filled with the corpses of several soldiers in mechanical armor, and he also wore similar armor. Noticeably some of the corpses have arrows pinning them to walls or in the ground. He stands up and soon the scene changes and twists before he stands in front of Archer in a city with gray clouds.

 **/kurushii nara yamete ii to/ - /"If it's painful, feel free to stop"/**

The man smiles and turns away from the teen, causing Aka to chase after him. Next, Aka, in different clothing, which is a short-sleeved white shirt with baggy black pants, steps into a hall of Chaldea and he sees Yule give him a wave with his right hand. The redhead runs past the silver haired young man towards a different destination.

/ **Burakku hooru mitai ni fukaku** / - / **Deep, almost like a black hole** /

Then Yule turns around and follows the redhead until he passes a woman with long braided blond hair and a flag, catching his attention. The 48th Master potential turns around and the young woman faces him with a smile. Noticeably, the two are standing on a castle wall riddled with arrows.

/ **kowakute miryokuteki na amai koe ga** / - / **from a sweet voice, frightening and tempting.** /

Standing in a grass meadow where rain fell is Emu who holds a yellow cartridge belonging to a late friend. The medical intern transitions into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid who turns to the arrival of Aka who continues running and passes him.

/ **Anata no kuchiguse wo manete** / - / **I'll try mimicking the words you so often speak** /

Ex-Aid turns around to follow the cyborg redhead, but then a blade covered in flames flew right at the pink Kamen Rider, forcing him to lean back as its edge moved above him. Ex-Aid rolls back and jumps onto a high brick block before taking out his Gashacon Breaker. Standing on the meadow is a young woman in a red dress who swings her flaming sword before readying herself to fight the Kamen Rider. Noticeably, she shares the same face as Saber, but she had a haughtier expression.

/ **nan demo nai to itte miru** / - / **and say that it's nothing.** /

Aka continues running and enters on the deck of a ship where it rocks a bit, putting him in a stumble but not stopping his pace. On the deck is Takeru who is staring at a sphere which is a dull grey before he transitions into Ghost. Then Olga Marie floats in near the Kamen Rider to point at the running redhead. The two try to greet him only that he ignores them and sprints past them. The two try to follow him only that they nearly run into a light pink-haired woman in a purple and red kimono.

/ **Sore ga uso demo kamawanai** / - / **It doesn't matter if that's a lie** /

The two turn around to look at the woman who smiles in response to their attention on her. Then another Kamen Rider Ghost shows up from behind the woman except he has red armor with a metal eye on the chest, jacket, and a flame-like mask. Alongside them was a man in Japanese samurai clothing with a long katana resting on his shoulder. Unnoticed, the sphere that Takeru was looking at earlier has its back change color into a scarlet red.

Aka is now seen running through a green meadow at night, then he stops before Mashu who smiles towards him.

/ **tachitsudzukeru douki ni nareba** / - / **if it gives me a motive to continue to stand…** /

The pair turn to the side with as light shines upon the meadow. Then Saber joins them and draws her sword, Excalibur, at the ready . Then Yule shows up with the blond girl with braided long hair who is still holding the flag. She plants the flag into the ground and draws her sword, standing next to the Servants ready for battle. They charge down the slope as several people stand in their way.

 _Instrumental_

With each beat, people in a variety of outfits and armors from different eras of the past stand before the three. Then Kamen Riders Ex-Aid, Ghost, and Den-O join in with their weapons raised.

/ **Watashi ga miteru mirai wa hitotsu dake** / - / **There is only one future that I see.** /

As Aka and Yule watch the fight unfold, several pages flew through the air. A page flies towards the fight between Saber and a blond haired man in golden armor who fights her with a bit of ease and agility. Then Archer appears and supports her before he deflects an arrow from a man with dark skin and wears a white suit.

/ **eien nado sukoshi mo hoshiku wa nai** / - / **Eternity isn't something I want in the least.** /

Another page flies towards the blond young woman who clashes her sword with another young woman who shares her face but has a crueler demeanor. In another location with another page, Ex-Aid is seen fending off the girl who attacked him earlier with his hammer now in sword mode before he equips his red armor that grants him a robot arm and fires the fist at the red version of Saber. Meanwhile, Ghost is clashing with a knight in black armor who nearly overwhelms him until the woman in the kimono and the red Ghost protects and helps him.

/ **Ichibyou isshun ga itooshii** / - / **Every second, every moment is dear to me** /

The pages fly back and now with illustrations of the Servants and Kamen Riders before, they gather into the Tome that materializes onto Aka's right arm. Then Aka is covered in pages before they transform into a white and black metal armor. He jumps forward to aid Mashu as his featureless helmet constructs over his head.

/ **anata ga iru sekai ni watashi mo ikiteru** / - / **I, too, am living in the world where you are.** /

The armored soldier lands next to the Demi-Servant who blocks another attack. The Tome opens to materialize a golden and jeweled hilt that Aka draws and swings out, creating a golden flash that engulfs the screen.

 _Instrumental_

Then flashes of different scenes are shown starting with several shadowed people who appear on screen with a shared characteristic of blue and green eyes.

Den-O is seen with a young man with messy black hair and they face a white-haired woman in a white kimono with a blue jacket and black scarf who points her katana at them. Standing next to the woman is a black-haired woman of similar age who wears a black military uniform and a red cape.

Takeru is seen with Olga Marie in front of a stained glass window with the two Japanese swordsmen and the red Kamen Rider Ghost.

Saber and Archer walk past each other, not sparing a glance at each other.

The group of Kamen Riders, Aka, and Mashu run on a stone bridge as a large golem smashes the bridge way behind them before forcing them to jump off.

Aka is seen sleeping in a meadow as four shadows tower over him. He wakes up and the shadows turn out to just be Mashu, Yule, Emu, and Takeru. They smile and help the redhead onto his feet. Then the group walks off and onwards towards a sunny horizon.

* * *

A person's eyes slowly opened to look around to the sight of what appeared to be a destroyed building. Then he felt something hit and he looked down to the sight of an arrow in his side. His legs weaken before he fell to his side with a golden sword clanging against the ground.

" _ROWAN!_ " A white haired girl with sapphire blue eyes screamed as the person fell to his side. She wore silver armor with a tire attached to her chestplate and her head had half of a helmet. The girl ran to him but a fire burned between him and her. The person looked up to the feet of a woman whose arms were covered in bright, golden tattoos.

" _Now stay there and watch as I kill your beloved leader-_ "

" _SHUT UP!_ " Then the girl appeared suddenly in front of the woman and punched her in the face. After landing she ran to the person's side as he laid on the ground. She pulled his arm over her shoulder and lifted him up. " _Don't worry Rowan, I'll get help for you…_ "

" _Arianrhod… Don't… turn your back against the enemy…_ " muttered the person whose voice was hoarse and heavy possibly due to the arrow in his side.

" _Huh?!_ " She turned around as the sound of whistling could be heard before a fiery explosion took place, sending them into the air. The person could only hear a ringing noise while seeing that the girl fell far him with her legs heavily damaged, revealing wiring and mechanical parts in them.

" _How pathetic…You protect these people, yet they fail you in the end._ " said the woman as she stood above him as he turned to her. She smiled with a wicked grin as she summoned fire from the palm of her right hand. " _Why do you even protect these pathetic humans? When they will abandon you in a moment's notice, without a single thought? Do you truly think that they will accept you with the power you possess?_ "

" _No._ " Aka felt his mouth move as he felt his body stand up.

"I see, then-"

" _I'm not done. Humans are pathetic, yes. They will lie, they will kill, and they will do anything to fulfill their very darkest desires. But are you any different? You are willing to tear apart homes, families, and lives to fulfill those ambitions of yours. And I'm not protecting humanity… I'm saving it. The duty of the savior is to help those I save remember the virtues of what it means to be a compassionate human. And I want to believe in the kindness that the small amount of humans has in this world… the very same kindness that saved me, a monster._ "

The woman narrowed her eyes before clenching her hand in frustration. " _You…_ "

" _If you want a fight… I'm willing to do so._ " He readied himself as red-like glow appeared over his arms. " _I am prepared to fight ever since the day the Savior warned about you._ "

The woman was caught off guard by the mention of a warning. " _What?! Who is this Savior you keep spouting about?!_ "

" _That is for me to decide and you to never learn about… Prepare yourself, Cinder Fall… I will make sure you pay for your crimes and sins, here and now._ " Rowan stated as he held his retrieved sword in both of this hands.

" _That semblance of yours can be quite the nuisance, Kamen Rider…_ _But that is nothing in the face of a Maiden's power._ " The woman stated confidently.

" _Even if you have such a power… I will overcome it… __ " After he smiled under his mask, he spoke the silent, no…, inaudible command, a whirring sound along with a flash of white took place before Aka's vision was consumed by darkness once more.

* * *

Then darkness cleared and a white ceiling could be seen before Aka, who was lying on a white bed. The redhead was confused since he had no memory of when he went to bed. He sat up and looked around to see that he was in the medical bay once more. Aka noticed that Mashu was sleeping in a slouched position with her arms acting as her pillow. At the side of the redhead's bed was Fou, who curled into a ball in another chair near them.

Aka gave a more puzzled face at how the two were sleeping at his side.

"I see you're finally awake." A voice said after the entrance door automatically opened to reveal Roman who smiled upon seeing that the redhead was awake. "Good morning, Aka."

"Doctor Archaman…"

"What kind of greeting was that? You should respond back with good morning before addressing my name!" chastised Roman with a half-hearted tone.

"Oh, sorry. Good morning, Doctor Archaman." Then the redhead gave a nod in apology

"Much better, Aka." Roman said with a smile once more before handing the redhead one of his cups. "You must be wondering why you're here."

Aka nodded with his face making an expression that was evidently confused at how he ended up in the bed. "Yes."

"Well, you suddenly collapsed after the summoning ceremony yesterday. It may had been a lack of insight on my part, I thought you were completely healthy after the what happened in the Singularity. But I didn't have Da Vinci at the time, who could have run a diagnosis on that mechanical heart of yours. Luckily there wasn't anything wrong, you were just exhausted from the Summoning and the lack of prana in your Magic Circuits."

Aka blinked owlishly in response to the unfamiliar terms. "Prana? Magic Circuits?"

"Oh right, forgot you weren't trained in MageCraft." Roman commented with a widened-eyed face that showed his realization. He decided to give the teen a crash course on the basics of Magecraft. "Let me explain how it works, in the Age of Gods, Magecraft was a common practice that allowed several individuals to do wondrous actions that you would call magic. But the practitioners of Magecraft who are known as Magi are actually researchers with a unique trait in their bodies." The doctor rolled up his sleeve before a circuit-like energy trail lit up on it. "And that trait is Magic Circuits, a pseudo-nervous system that spreads itself through the human body and what qualifies a person to be a Magus."

"So that is what those circuits are called?" Aka responded before turning to his left arm with also glowed with circuits. "I always thought that I was designed with them specifically for converting energy."

"Seems like whoever created you may have been a Magus or someone who at least has some knowledge of Magecraft, though I never heard of Magecraft that can absorb a Noble Phantasm and send it back at the sender." Roman and Da Vinci had learned from Olga Marie that Aka could absorb a Noble Phantasm and compressed it into a bullet. Whoever designed that conversion Magecraft had also hid it under the guise of an ability that the weaponized human could use specifically. "Have you ever used that power before?"

"Well… I normally use it for absorbing energy streams and laser attacks before countering with an energy condensed bullet. Several soldiers of my weapon type were also capable of such functions, but… I was considered a defect." Aka stated remembering how some researchers and maintenance workers mentioned how his body was a different design from the other weaponized clones. They called him a variant which he concluded that it meant he was defective from the other soldiers.

"A defective? How so?"

"The maintenance workers and regular soldiers called me a variant, because I wasn't the same as the other weaponized soldiers. I could fight faster and react on what people would call inhuman instinct. When they expect no survivors, I was the last one standing and actually doing damage against an enemy front."

"Being different doesn't make you a defective, Aka. Besides, it sounds like an accomplishing career you had as a soldier." Roman complimented with a whistle.

"Not really accomplishing when my superiors expect me to die along with the batch of troops I was created with. Doesn't really help that I was called a monster." Aka stated with a shake of his head, remembering the angry stares and disappointed faces of the several commanders he served under.

"Really? Geez, that sounds a bit brutal." Roman grimaced, after remembering that weaponized soldiers were also treated like tools. It wouldn't be a surprise that some would rather see them die fighting their battles than live to fight another day.

Aka shook his head as if waving it off as normal. "I didn't mind it. If I was ordered to fight, I will fight. If I was ordered to run, I will run. If I was ordered to die… Well, that's why I'm a defect. However, not all of my superiors were condescending to weaponized soldiers. Sometimes, they acted nice and tried to understand me and the engineered soldiers. I didn't understand them at the time until… I met Father."

"Yes, you identified Archer as your 'father'. Why is that?"

After some thought, Aka remembered the first feeling he head when he first met the tanned man with the black bow. "He was the one who taught me what it means to fear."

"Huh?" responded Roman with a confused face. Fear? What did this boy mean?

"I understand if my statement is a bit confusing, Doctor Archaman. But… When I first met Father, he appeared in flash of light one day in front of the battalion I was with. Then he utterly crushed us within minutes." Aka remembered the day where he was just finished killing the remaining soldiers with a heavily scratched up sword.

* * *

He stood up from the last dead soldier with blood caking his armor and dyeing the cloth in a dark wine red. There were other soldiers wearing similar armor and they wore steel masked helmets. They marched around the area with their weapons raised and ready for another battle. Suddenly, a sound of air shifting caught everyone's attention and their turned to the source which was a small pillar of blue flame-like light. When the pillar cleared, it was revealed to be Archer who wore the same outfit that he wore when Aka summoned him. In his left hand was a bow and in his right hand was a sword. He nocked the sword onto the bow and pulled back. At that moment, the soldiers quickly realized he was going to attack, so they countered with their guns which spews thousands of hot metal slugs at the unknown man. But their efforts were all for naught when he released his razor arrow which speared through the wind and storm of metal with light before separating into thousands of energy trailing shots that flew at the targeted battalion. Explosions occurred and engulfed the created soldiers in seconds.

* * *

"Hold on, if what you're saying is true… Then Archer was a Counter Guardian sent to kill you?" asked Roman with a bewildered tone.

* * *

Then the smoke cleared to reveal the fallen forms of the weaponized soldiers who each did not remain. Their bodies headless… some with no upper body… some who had massive scorched holes in their chests… others who were just remains of metal or flesh bodyparts… In the aftermath of the sudden carnage, weaponized soldier 00041 stirred before sitting up to see that the soldiers he fought with were dead. Then he heard footsteps before looking up to see Archer who stood before him with just his bow in his hand. The man gave a cold stare at the redhead who for the first time in his artificial life felt the cold, paralyzing feeling known as fear. Archer summoned forth a longsword and raised it above his head, an action of preparation to cut down another target. The pre-teen artificial soldier before him gave a wide-eyed face, stunned and unable to compute what the unknown man just did.

* * *

"Counter Guardian? Huh. That's right... Father also called himself that title when he introduced himself… Is he some sort of living safeguard?" Aka had some idea what his father did and defined the title as some sort of counter against threats, something akin to an anti-virus software system.

"Yes, Counter Guardians are safeguards that protect humanity from threats that could lead to our extinction. So your group was among the targets designated as a world threat. Not surprising considering that Alaya may not have registered you weaponized soldiers as human beings. But I'm surprised he spared you. How did that happen?"

"Well… first came the sudden feeling of fear… then I started crying uncontrollably…" responded Aka with a truthful tone.

* * *

He never experienced the sense of fear until that day, and somehow… it made him aware of other feelings, like a sudden influx of data that his own mind couldn't comprehend, causing him to suffer an emotional breakdown. To the counter Guardian's surprise, he stopped his sword swing upon noticing that the nameless soldier cried like a baby who just awoke with sudden spasms that made him scream. It wasn't anger for the death of his nameless comrades that was making him cry and scream, it was the sudden first step of self-aware- Then a stomach grumble was heard.

* * *

"It turned out I was hungry at the time, so he fed me."

"EH?!" shouted Roman who gave a dumbfounded look. The weaponized teen who threatened him with a knife and had the guts to fight Servants… cried because he was hungry?

From the shout, Fou stirred as its ears lifted up and it raised its head to glare at whoever shouted with its squinted eyes.

"*Laughs* So that's how you made him spare you! Archer is no doubt quite the softy under that jaded exterior." A man in a black suit and cloak said with an amused smile as he sat in chair near the two.

"Yeah, but I didn't think that-" Cutting himself off after realizing something, Roman slowly turned to the unknown man who was suddenly sitting near them with a smile as if he expected the next reaction out of the doctor. Jumping back on his wheeled seat, Roman screamed, "EEEEHHHH?! WHO ARE-"

"Hey, no need to scream your lungs out, Doctor. I'm just here to check on a certain redhead…" The elder man stated with an amused smile that he caught another off-guard by his surprise appearance.

"Good morning, Mister Zelretch." Aka said with a polite tone to the man in front of him.

The man known as Zelretch gave an annoyed look at the redhead before he smiled with amusement. "Morning, kid. Even now, you still aren't fazed by my sudden appearances… You're quite the oddball, Red! *Laughs*"

"Wait a moment, Zelretch?! As in the Wizard Marshall Zelretch?!" Roman stood up and pointed at the older man. There were many things he could take in the morning, but the sudden arrival of the infamous Magician of the Second Magic was not one of them.

"Yep, the one and only. But don't go running around like headless chickens for me just yet, I still have to make a few arrangements. In the meantime, I'm just here to make sure you guys got the kid and the Record Tome." The man responded before turning to Aka with an expecting look. "So…?"

"I have received the package, Mister Zelretch." Aka said with a nod and he took the book resting on a stand near him and held it in both of his hands.

"Good, now there won't be a problem with continuing this story, though it appears some people don't like that name of yours…" Then the man turned to an area… Wait, is he staring at me? The man smirked knowingly… "I think it's going to be quite the running gag!" The Wizard Marshall laughed heartily despite his important status.

* * *

 **Author's interruption: He knows what is going in the reviews! Wait… does that mean he also knows what other crap is going on the in the Singularities? This calls for one solution: BRO! PREPARE THE ANTI-SPOILER BAZOOKA!**

* * *

"Oh would you quit panicking? I won't spill the big surprise, otherwise the readers won't know what's coming!" Zelretch said offhandedly which left confusion on the present Chaldea members in the room. Or Aka's case, ignorance as he attached the tome to his right arm. "Just get to the part where the girl starts to wake up!"

As the Wizard Marshal pointed out, Mashu slow sat straight and rubbed her eyes. "Ugh… what is with all the yelling?"

"Oh, good morning Mashu." Aka said with a small smile and nod.

The girl turned to the redhead and smiled in response. "Good morning, Sempai."

"*Laughs* You really are like your father if you charm a girl like that, Red!" Zelretch stated, much to the confusion of the redhead.

"Charm? I thought the proper way to talk to a woman is to be honest." While he spoke, Aka did not notice how Mashu looked a bit abashed at Zeltretch's implication.

"Yes, but not too much honesty. Otherwise, you would sound rude." Roman warned with a knowing look.

"Oh… This is quite the logical paradox." Aka said with some troubled thoughts at the conflicting statements. Then he felt a migraine form, causing a sharp pain in his head.

Mashu quickly placed her hand on his back in case he fell over. "Try not to overthink it, Sempai. We wouldn't want you to make the infirmary your permanent room."

"Ugh, sorry. But… Something strange happened…" Aka said. "I saw a vivid visual in my sleep."

"That's probably just a dream, sempai." Mashu said.

"That's impossible, the phenomenon known as dreams isn't applied with weaponized soldiers. Parts of our brains are removed and replaced with high calculation miniature computers to increase battle efficiency. This also shuts down any form of emotion." Aka stated with a factual response.

"Really? Because you're showing a lot of emotion since you came here, Aka." Roman pointed out.

"I am?" The redhead asked with a dubious look.

"Obviously, you knuckleheaded juvenile." Zelretch bluntly stated.

"Maybe it's just a sign of your developing humanity, sempai." Mashu said.

"Really? That's… a truly strange concept." Aka frowned with further puzzlement. Though that "dream" was bugging him… it almost felt like a memory of someone else.

"Hmph, kids these days have it nice with love and all. But learn how to make a less cliché story!" Zelretch stated with an annoyed, but amused tone. Sheesh, the man doesn't know that writing stories isn't that easy, and satisfying the readers much less so. "If you have time to complain, then finish up the next chapter to that first story of yours. Can't have you wind up like those other authors who abandon their stories, especially the good ones."

"Wizard Marshall… Who are you talking to?"

"No one you people should know unless you all can handle getting shot in the head." The Wizard Marshall responded with a nonchalant tone, leaving the others speechless. Tch, so much for the sudden head-

"That would normally kill a person." Aka said to break the awkward silence.

Zelretch rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Exactly, Sir Obvious. But it appears you are now experiencing your first shared memory as the Record."

"Shared… Memory?"

"Yep, but I'll spare you all the boring details later. It's almost time for breakfast made by Archer."

Aka widened his eyes a bit and somehow the others felt as though he was glowing with anticipation. "Father's… cooking?" Then a little bit of drool came from his mouth with an otherworldly gaze in his eyes.

"Sempai?" asked Mashu. But before she can follow up on her next question, the redhead tore the blanket off of his legs, leaped off the bed over Roman and Zelretch's heads to reach the door and ran in the hallway.

Taking a big breath through his nose, Aka twitched for a bit and slumped forward. His head turned slowly up with his right eye gaining a glint of red and a cross hair pupil with a whir of energy being heard in his head. "Target: Locked." Then he jumped forward and ran at an incredible speed, searching for the cafeteria and leaving a large tailwind.

"Eh? W-Wait, sempai!" Snapping out of her shock, the lavender haired girl got up and ran after the sprinting redhead with Fou following.

"What was that just now?" asked Roman who witnessed the sudden bizarre reaction Aka had upon learning that Archer was cooking. It was quite odd that a Servant would request to cook for the group, but they allowed him because Chaldea's head chef was among the casualties from the sabotage.

"That, Doctor, is a boy running to get a long-earned bite of his parent's cooking. Now let's get to the cafeteria before he and Saber eat all of it." Zeltretch stated before standing up and walking out of the room followed by gaze of the still-bewildered doctor.

Then a nearby curtain moved to reveal Emu who was rubbing his eyes as he laid on the bed.

"Ugh. What's with all the racket? Eh? Where did Mashu and Aka go?" asked Emu as he looked around in puzzlement which was ignored by the stunned Doctor Roman.

* * *

Meanwhile with the man in question, Archer was working in the kitchen while thinking about the circumstances about where he was. The Servant of the Bow wore an apron in place of his red cloak, but his hair was still slicked back as he cooked. The man was currently contemplating the current circumstance that he was in. After he and Saber were introduced to the Chaldea team, he and the knight were shocked to learn that the humanity's future was lost in the predicted time of December 2016. But another shocking thing was that the boy he spared and also saved from the fate of dying on the battlefield would become his new Master. Was this the sort of fate that Alaya planned for the artificial soldier? It was already odd that the collective unconsciousness of Humanity chose him to look after the boy, but to also offer a break from his contract as a Counter Guardian? What was so important about this boy that Alaya would give up a contract with one of its most effective Counter Guardians?

"Father!" shouted the teen in question as he arrived to the mess hall with a skidding finish to his run. Then he ran into the cafeteria while waving to the Servant in the apron as if it was normal.

Much to Archer's ire but very slow acceptance, the boy started calling him Father after spending a month with him. "*Sigh* Morning, kid. And can't you at least greet a person normally?" The man said with a sarcastic smile.

"Ah right. Good morning, Father." The redhead gave a nod and bow in respect before asking something else with eager eyes. "Is breakfast ready?"

"…No, the food's still cooking." Archer replied causing the redhead to slump a bit. "But seeing that you're back on your feet, seems like you're fine, kid. Though wear some proper clothes."

The man was right since the redhead was only wearing a sleeveless white undershirt with his baggy pair of black pants.

"Oh… sorry if I made you worried and my lack of proper clothing, Father." Aka said with with another bow.

"*Sigh* It's fine… Aka, right?" Archer would need to remind himself to have a word with the young man who named the kid. Why "Aka" of all things?

"Yes, that is now my given designation." The redhead nodded.

"Well, you-"

"Sempai!" shouted Mashu, causing the redhead to turn around and see the girl running towards him.

"Oh, hello Mashu." The male greeted.

"Sempai, are you all right? You suddenly just ran out of the infirmary."

"I did?" Aka said before giving a contemplating look while thinking about what he did earlier. "Huh, I did. Sorry, it was a bit of reflex, Father's cooking is a meal worth more than a soldier's death."

"Thanks for the compliment." Archer responded with a semi-sarcastic and deadpan tone. "So you must be the first Servant that he contracted with."

"Oh, yes. My name is Mashu Kyrielite and the Servant known as Shielder. I hope to make your acquaintance, Archer!" Mashu introduced herself and bowed in respect.

Archer smiled with a bit of nostalgia creeping in his mind. Must be because of the girl's personality reminding him of a certain girl. "Shielder huh? Good to know there's someone looking out for this kid. I'm sorry on his behalf if he caused a bit of trouble for you."

"No not at all, Archer. Sempai may be a bit on the reckless side, but he does try to help. I'm glad he became my Master, honestly."

"I still have a long way to go to become a proper Master to you, Mashu." Aka stated.

"I'm sure you will become an incredible Master, Sempai."

"*Ahem* If you two are done with your lovey-dovey teen drama, how did you become a Master in the first place, Aka?" asked Archer who had a sneaking suspicion that the redhead once more got caught up in something dangerous.

Aka gave a confused look upon hearing the Servant's question. "Didn't the director tell you? I became a Master as a result of being thrown into the Singularity through the Rayshift. And Mashu here became the first Servant I was contracted with."

"I see… Now why did you summon me when you already had Saber and Shielder?" asked the man with an even but serious tone.

"Oh. You were actually an accident, Father. After summoning Miss Saber, the FATE system also summoned you." Aka said before realizing that he happened to summon the man by accident. "But that doesn't mean the accident wasn't a good thing! You're an incredible fighter, Father! I'm sure with your help…"

"Aka, please stop there. I know you must be happy to be reunited with me, but I'm not your Father in any sort of way. I just looked after you when I spared you on a whim." Archer stated coldly.

Taken aback by the man's words, Aka could only reason why he would respond in such a way. "O-Oh… Sorry if I was a bit arrogant, but I can't help but see you as my father. If it weren't for you, then I would had continued to be a mindless soldier." Aka reasoned to the man. In hindsight, the feeling of fear and later the taste of good food was what helped him develop a sense of self-awareness.

Archer gave an intense stare at the redhead who innocently did not break eye contact and simply sighed with a wistful half-smile. "*Sigh* Just remember that I happen to spare you." Archer said with an exasperated tone.

"Got it, Father." Aka gave a nod.

"So how long was it when I last left you, kid?" asked the tanned cook.

"About a year, Father. But you left enough damage to their organization that I could finish the job. After that, it was a journey of walking through the snow-covered mountains to reach Chaldea." Aka reported.

"It's true, Sempai actually performed such a feat." Mashu supported.

"I see…" Archer smiled in amusement that the boy would actually attempt to walk all the way through the snow to reach an unknown organization.

"Father, did you happen to meet Miss Saber before?" asked Aka as he stared at the man with a curious expression.

"You could say that. Why?" asked the man with a questioned face and frown at how the redhead came upon such information.

"Well, when I was in the Singularity with Mashu, the director, and the Kamen Riders, we encountered a corrupted version of you along with Miss Saber. The Servant who helped us was a Caster who implied that you two were Master and disciple."

"Master and Disciple? Well, he must have thought wrong." Archer scoffed with a roll his eyes at such a thought while remembering a small memory of Saber in different clothing with a Kendo stick before burying it. "She and I were enemies when we first met in a Holy Grail War." The Servant of the Bow said truthfully.

"I see…" responded Aka with a nod as he gave a thinking expression to his foster father's words. The version of him back in the Singularity was just as indifferent, but there was some form of relationship between Archer and Saber. That would explain why Archer wanted to protect Saber. But what? "Well, I shouldn't be prying too much into your past, Father. I mean you weren't exactly the happiest person on the planet when you spared me."

"No I wasn't, but spending time with you was definitely a good break from the usual work I had before. I'm actually surprised that you're still alive. I thought with your luck, you would be dead before we meet again." Archer joked though internally he was glad to see that the boy was still alive. But he cringed upon remembering that first month was the roughest one, when he thought his luck was bad, the boy's was worse or practically non-existent. From sudden explosions to gaining the interest of the Second Magician himself, that one month of babysitting felt like a lifetime's worth of insanity and twenty lifetimes' worth of danger.

Aka understood the statement the tanned man made since they had experienced a lot of misadventures before the Servant had to leave him. "Probably Father, and I do remember how people seemed to think I'm cursed with causing groups who worked with me to suddenly fall to surprise attacks or powerful opponents. In actuality, I think that 'curse' of mines is what allowed me to meet you."

"*Chuckles* Good point, kid." Then the sound of whistle coming from hot air blowing out of a covered pot pan. "Oh, seems like the food is almost done. Mashu, right?"

"Y-Yes?" responded the girl who did not wish to intrude on the conversation between the two.

"Can you go to the broadcast room with the kid here and announce that breakfast is ready?"

"Oh, we-"

"Of course, Father! We'll get to the announcement room!" Aka said with a nod before he ran off to another location.

"Sempai! Wait! You're going the wrong way!" shouted Mashu before she chased after him.

"It's been a year already, huh?" Archer said aloud with a bitter smile. "That kid has become more a person than the weapon I had to babysit." Then he noticed that Fou was staring at him expectantly. Archer gave the creature a pat on the head. "Well, I hope to count on you too to look after the kid."

"Fou!" yipped the white furred creature before it jumped off the counter and ran off to follow the two younger Chaldea members.

Archer then turned around to prepare the remaining parts of the dishes for breakfast while mentally preparing himself against the appetite of a certain Servant and the redhead boy.

* * *

As Aka ran through the hallway to reach the announcement room, Mashu managed to catch up with him. After telling the redhead he was going the wrong way, the girl decided it was better that she act as his guide since she knew the interior of the facility better. As they walked through the halls, Mashu decided to question on the redhead's behavior.

"So Sempai, what sort of relationship do you share with Archer?"

"Relationship?" asked the redhead before he tried to think of an answer while furrowing his brows. "Well… The best way to describe my relationship with Father is that he spared me on the battlefield and later became a pseudo-caretaker to me."

"Pseudo-caretaker? Do you mean foster parent?"

"Yes, I think that is the best way to describe our relationship. To be honest, I started calling Father, because… it seemed to fit him. While he does treat me with indifference, Father does watch out for me. And I remembered a regular soldier once described a father as a tough, authoritative figure to their children."

Mashu gave a contemplating look and remembered how half-hearted Archer's words were when he told Aka not to regard him as a parental figure. "That's quite an interesting analogy, sempai. But I do not know Archer that well…"

"It's fine. Father does prefer to keep his secrets. I remember-"

Then the sound of a steel clashing caught his attention, causing the redhead to follow the sounds. After a few moments of searching for the source, he walked into a large room where he saw Kamen Rider Den-O making strong, but reckless sword strikes at Saber who either blocked or parried before striking back with her…

"Huh? Is Saber wielding an invisible sword?" wondered Aka at the sight of Saber wield an invisible weapon that she swung at Den-O who leaped over, yelled, and swung down at her head.

With quick reflexes, she blocked the blow and the Electric Train Kamen Rider flipped over and landed behind her on his feet.

"I believe that is a form of magic to hide the identity of her sword, sempai. In the medieval ages, some knights would hide their true swords and faces to prevent their opponents from identifying who they are. This is due to how famous they were during their time." Mashu informed the redhead.

"I see, so a Servant's signature weapon also identifies his or her place in history… This could actually be beneficial when we fight such opponents…" Aka muttered as he watched Saber continued her defensive fighting style against the reckless, but practiced moves of the red Kamen Rider.

After deflecting his last attack aiming for her ribs, the blond haired Servant jumped backwards for some fair distance. "Impressive, you definitely are worthy of being called a hero of the present." Saber commented as she held her sword in a two-handed grip.

"Heh, I may not be as fancy as the younger guys, but I got my rights at being a badass!" boasted Den-O as he pointed at himself with his thumb. Then he entered a fighting stance, ready for another clash of blades. "But enough yip yap, let's get back to the warm-up fight!"

Saber nodded stoically before she noticed Aka and Mashu walking towards them, lowering her sword. "Good morning, Master. I am glad to see that you are awake." Then she turned to Mashu with a greeting and short bow.

"Yes, Miss Saber. And good morning to you too."

"Indeed, good morning to you, Shielder."

"Good morning, Saber. And you can just call me Mashu." Mashu responded.

"Very well."

"Are you and Mister Den-O sparring?" asked the redhead.

"Yes, I wanted to test if Den-O can handle himself when we enter this singularity the director has mentioned." Saber said with a nod and glance to the still armored Kamen Rider. "That, and he wanted to spar with someone while we wait."

"Pinkie's with the wimp doctor and Glowie's with the bossy-onna. Luckily, I found someone who can put up a good fight!" boasted Den-O, glad that there was at least someone decent enough to let him have a good fight.

"That's good to know." Aka said with a nod and an even expression. He understood it was common practice to ready oneself for upcoming battles, he had experience sparring with fellow cyborg soldiers to hone their skills.

"Is there something you need from us, Master?" asked Saber who caught his attention once more.

"Oh right, Father said that breakfast was ready and told me to find the broadcast room for the announcement. The problem is that I can't find it."

"That is why I am the one guiding you, Sempai." Mashu said.

"Breakfast?" Then Saber gave a thoughtful expression with her eyes closed and her mouth twisted into a small frown before a loud rumbling sound shook the room that the three were in. Aka, Mashu, and Den-O gave worried glances before the rumbling stopped and the room no longer shook.

"What the hell?! I thought snow-covered mountains didn't get earthquakes!" shouted Den-O as he regained his balance.

"They normally don't…" muttered Mashu with a worried look.

"Yes, that is concerning…" Aka thought aloud with similar worry evident on his face.

"My apologies." Saber said with a bit of red dusting her cheeks, much to the confusion of the other three present. "That was my stomach."

Then Den-O fell over suddenly, before he stood right back up to yell at her. "Your stomach?! Woman, I thought the Bear snores loud, but your stomach shook this place! I thought the room was going to fall on top of us!"

"Calm down, Mister Den-O, I'm sure Miss Saber did not mean it. Though, I don't remember a human stomach capable of such a feat, much less a modified one's. Maybe it's due to her nature as a Heroic Spirit." Aka thought aloud.

"I don't think that's how it works, sempai…" Mashu stated with a sweat drop.

Even Saber knew that her new Master was way off the mark with that assumption. Much to her further embarrassment.

"Either way, we need to head off to get some grub, otherwise that beast of a stomach will roar again." Den-O said while pointing his thumb at Saber who gave an annoyed glare. "Hey Kishi-onna, let's put our sparring match on hold."

"*Sigh* Very well." Saber responded with a curt nod before Den-O walked towards the direction of the cafeteria. Then the blond young woman turned to Aka with a gentle smile which had not gone unnoticed by Mashu and Den-O. "I hope you will join us, Master and Mashu."

Aka shook his head before talking. "Sorry, but I still need to announce that breakfast is ready, Miss Saber."

"I see. Before you leave, you can just call me Saber, Master. There's no need for the Miss." Saber requested with a soft smile. She felt the Miss was a bit redundant to her title as a Servant.

"Oh. Very well, Mi- I mean, Saber. Mashu and I will be off searching for the room now." Aka said though he had trouble adapting to her request. Then he and Mashu walked off to find the room once more.

Saber gave a nostalgic gaze at the departing boy after their interaction. He didn't show any form of ill intent, instead he was as naïve as the redhead who she fell in love with, sans the heroic ideals as she felt a battle veteran's gaze in his eyes. Though this boy's experience in battle didn't actually change his unique naivety. It was refreshing, but… equally painful being reminded she couldn't be with her love. "I know I shouldn't compare, but he reminds me way too much of you, Shirou…" muttered the young woman with a sad and longing face.

"So who are you thinking about that's got you flirting with the kid?" asked Den-O with a blunt tone from behind the female knight.

"E-EH?! I-I wasn't flirting! I was just remembering about someone dear to me!" Saber stated with a firm tone though her face still blushing.

* * *

Meanwhile with Archer, he covered his mouth and nose with his elbow before he sneezed. "Atchoo!" Then he grabbed a nearby tissue to wipe off the mucus that leaked from his nostrils.

"*Sniff* Maybe I put in too much pepper…" Archer wondered before shrugging his shoulders as he continued preparing for the eventual arrival of Saber and her appetite.

* * *

Back at the weaponized human and Demi-Servant, Aka was walking through the halls while looking for any indication of the broadcast room.

"So where is the Broadcast Room, Mashu?" asked Aka as he walked through the halls with the girl.

"Well, if we need something broadcasted… we need to go to the Command Room, sempai." Mashu stated.

"Oh… I just realized how unintelligible I must be to believe it was a separate room." Aka said with a downtrodden expression.

"*Giggle* Well, mistakes are another part of being human." Mashu said with a smile.

"Huh, Father said something similar… When he tried to teach me how to cook." Aka said while remembering a certain memory.

"Must be quite memorable for you, Sempai." Mashu said.

"Well yes, it was. That, and it was the last time Father tried to teach me cooking." Aka stated while remembering a fire, monstrous demons, and the amused smirk of Zelretch.

"What happened?" asked Mashu who was curious what happened that stopped Archer from teaching the redhead.

"Hm… well to best describe the incident: Father tried to teach me, but each time he tried, something interrupts our session. After that, he stated that teaching me causes weird and dangerous things to occur so he just gave up."

"It couldn't be that strange…" Mashu said as her mouth turned into a frown.

"Indeed, I thought it was quite normal with fighting those strange humanoids with horns in some sort of area where there were crimson skies." Aka stated as they continued to walk through the hall.

Mashu made a sweat drop when she remembered that the weaponized human walking next to her had lived in the battlefield to the point it was his 'normal' in life. "I think… I'll take that back." The girl said.

"Fou!" shouted a familiar cry, before Fou appeared and jumped onto Mashu's shoulder.

"Oh! Fou." Mashu scratched the chin of the small creature who looked pleased. "Sorry, we forgot about you back at the cafeteria."

"Kyu!" then the white-furred creature scratched at her cheek lightly, causing the girl to giggle a bit from the ticklish scratching.

Then the three reached the central control room of Chaldea to the sight of Olga Marie, Da Vinci, and Kamen Rider Ghost at work in directing the efforts to clear the debris in the Chaldeas room. Due to the low amount of employees, Olga Marie, Da Vinci, and Roman gave the clear to the science division to immediately field their first line of automated helper robots which were used to clear the large rocks. Takeru decided to pitch in by transforming into Kamen Rider Ghost and using his enhanced strength to help with the clearing and protecting anyone in the room due to the unstable nature of the ceiling. He was seen floating outside of the observation window to oversee the work of the robots and remaining Chaldean employees who were experts in demolition. Olga Marie floated near one of the consoles and was hard at work while using a pair of gloves strapped onto her sleeves to act as her pseudo-hands and fingers. Da Vinci was at another console looking over what sort of lasting damage that the traitorous Lev may had left in the software.

The ghostly Kamen Rider noticed Aka walked into the room. "Aka! Mashu-san! Good morning! What brings you two here?"

"Good morning, Mister Tenkuji. Good morning, sir. And good morning, Miss Da Vinci. I am here to broadcast that breakfast is ready." The redhead reported to the group.

"Broadcast that breakfast is ready?" Olga Marie turned to her left sleeve which had a wrist device strapped on it, surprisingly she could still use the device despite her state. She pressed it with her glove and the screen revealed the clock. "Oh, it's around that time… Very well, leave it to me to announce it."

"Thank you." Aka bowed then he prepared to walk out of the room.

"Aka," called out Da Vinci as she turned to him on her chair.

"Yes, Miss Da Vinci?"

"After breakfast, let us discuss a matter of utmost importance." The woman stated, much to the confusion of everyone present.

"Something of utmost importance?" asked Aka who turned to Mashu who shared a similar puzzlement.

"Don't exaggerate whatever this matter is, Da Vinci. If it were something of 'utmost' importance you would have discussed it with Roman and me." Olga Marie deadpanned.

"True. True. But also bring Yule to our table, Aka~!" requested the Renaissance artist.

"Understood. Sir, what is Mister Syforce's current whereabouts?"

"According to here… He should be in his room. That commoner must still be sleeping… Go wake him up, we need to have a meeting today about our next course of action."

"Yes sir!" Aka said with a salute before stopping mid-salute due since it would disobey that last order and quickly put it down. Though his awkward action made a couple of the people present chuckle.

"*Sigh* Just go!" ordered Olga Marie causing the redhead to quickly run out of the room with Mashu following behind him.

After another bout of laughter started but ended when Olga Marie glared at them, Ghost decided to ask the artist a question.

"So what was that something you wanted to ask, Da-Vinci-san?"

"It's. A. Secret~!" Da Vinci responded with a mischievous tone.

"Of course it is…" sighed Olga Marie who had her fair share of dealing with the Servant's habit of hiding harmless secrets or agendas. "Just get the announcement prepared, Da Vinci."

"Of course… Of course… Now, where did I put that automated breakfast announcement?" wondered the Servant as she looked through the system of commands.

* * *

After navigating through the halls of the facility, Mashu and Aka were standing in front of a certain room which may had been the only room that the redhead remembered. Said redhead walked forward and started banging on the door, much to the surprise of Mashu and Fou.

"Mister Syforce! Wake up!" shouted Aka over the banging he was making as he continued to hit the door. Then Mashu grabbed his arm before he damaged the door.

"Sempai, stop! The doors are quite fragile! I recommend pressing the buzzer over here." She pointed to the button on the wall near the door.

"All right." Then he pressed the button before a loud horn was heard, causing vibrations to be felt from outside. Mashu and Fou looked shaken while Aka just blinked in surprise. "That was quite loud. Is that normal, Mashu?"

"No, but the director requested such a function to be installed in the rooms because she hated having to deal with certain employees who overslept." Internally, she believed it was to scare out Roman whenever he played hooky during some meetings.

"Huh, I'm impressed. Back at my time in the military, the drill sergeant would use the air raid horn to wake up the soldiers he was training."

"Your drill sergeant is quite… odd." Mashu said with a sweat drop.

"I know. Apparently the reason Drill Sergeant Sarge became a sergeant was because he was the only one to survive some sort of disastrous promotion exam." Aka stated with a nonchalant tone.

"I see…" Mashu said with a similar tone before noticing a detail that the redhead mentioned. "Wait, his name was Sarge?" asked the girl incredulously as the redhead pressed the button for another loud horn blast to occur in the room followed by a muffled thump.

"I'm up! I'm up! Sheesh, you didn't have to press the GODDAMN BUTTON TO THE F*CKING HORN AGAIN!" shouted Yule who sounded very cranky through the door. A couple thumps could be heard as Mashu and Aka stared at the door.

"Huh, this horn really is effective." Aka commented with a hint of amazement as the thumps started getting louder.

"Indeed, but I recommend not pressing it again, sempai." Mashu suggested since they didn't want to anger the 48th Master Potential further.

"Good point."

Then the door automatically opened to reveal Yule with disheveled hair and in the middle of straightening out his uniform.

"Good… Morning…" said the cranky silver haired male who glared at the shorter redhead and the girl.

"Good Morning, Mister Syforce." Aka stated not bothered by the glare that the silver haired male gave.

"…Of course you had to wake me up with a goddamn air raid horn." Yule stated with a hostile tone and his glare continued.

"Do you prefer the bucket of ice method, Mister Syforce?" asked Aka with a calm and innocent tone, unintentionally ignoring the fact he was being glared at.

Mashu looked nervously between the two males, fearing the silver haired Master Potential might attack Aka. She had seen similar squabbles with the employees so this could be the beginning to a fight. But to her surprise, Syforce suddenly dropped the glare and let out a breath and chuckle.

"Heh, I can't stay mad at you." He placed his right hand on the redhead's head and patted it. "Well, at least you were the one to wake me up instead of the Director. I don't think I can handle waking up to her loud voice."

"I recommend not saying those words about our superior." Aka stated while making a gesture of extending his index finger and lifting his right hand up. "There's a possibility she's listening on this conversation."

"Now that's just paranoia talking, Aka! Don't worry, I can take whatever she throws at me!" boasted the taller male.

"Except she does have hands." Aka pointed out.

"Aka, it's a figure of speech."

"So there is a position meant for speech? That's quite odd." Aka said with a puzzled face and tilt of his head.

The taller male palmed his face in frustration before sighing. "*Sigh* Never mind."

"Is Sempai always this literal-minded?" asked Mashu with curious tone.

"Not always, he now has enough morals and normal sense that he won't suddenly kill someone with his thumb." Yule said with a wave of his hand though he internally cringed at a certain memory of how the redhead caused a bar fight by doing such a thing by accident.

"He did what?" wondered Mashu as she turned to Aka whose expression did not change except for a blink here and there.

"Oh, you mean that incident involving that pub. That was more of an accident, Mashu. That man was quite strange when he came near me. He had a face that was between intimidating and odd."

"You mean eerie, Aka…" Luckily the guy Aka accidentally killed was a serial rapist, so there wasn't any major repercussions. "But if we ever enter a singularity that takes place in a city, make sure that Mashu is with you. Can't have another 'back alley' incident."

"Back alley? What happened?"

"I don't know want to talk about it. But it involved fire… a whole lot of fire." Yule stated with menacing tone and dark face that somewhat unsettled Mashu but Aka took it in stride.

"ATTENTION. THE TIME IS NOW 9:00. THE CAFETERIA IS NOW SERVING BREAKFAST."

Then he stood straight and smiled brightly in order to change topics. "So who's cooking for breakfast?"

"Father." Aka responded automatically.

Yule widened his eyes with interest. "Cool, I've always wanted to try the cooking that turned your ration palette into a gourmet one."

Then the two started to walk away with Mashu still a bit stunned. "I still prefer rations, Mister Syforce. But Father's cooking gives a more… 'belonging' feeling." Aka stated while they walked.

"I see… It's been a while since I've eaten some home cooking."

"Since we're on the topic of breakfast, Miss Da Vinci wants to hold a meeting at the table that she and the others about something of utmost importance."

"Fou… Somehow, I know less of Sempai than when we first met him." Mashu said with a bit of a stunned tone.

"Fou!" Then the creature jumped off her shoulder and ran off after the two males.

"Mashu, come on. I don't want you to miss out on eating Father's cooking!" shouted Aka who somehow glowed with anticipation.

"Oh, okay!" responded the girl as she jogged to catch up to the two.

"Though one thing does bother me, Aka…"

"What is it, Mister Syforce?"

"Can your Dad even handle cooking by himself for a lot of people?"

"Don't worry, if there's one thing I am sure about Father, is that when he's in the kitchen, there's no amount of food he can't cook."

* * *

At the cafeteria, several of the Chaldea employees were at tables sitting and eating or walking in lines to receive meals by the plate on a long table served with food of different varieties. The large amount of food prepared by the Servant of the Bow was impressive in the eyes of the Chaldea staff with some wondering where he learned such a skill.

But at the table where the major characters sat, it was a large spread that could feed at least twenty people in a household. The group of higher-ranking Chaldea members along with the three Kamen Riders and two new Servants sat at the table, waiting for the Masters and Demi-Servant to arrive. Saber sat next to Archer with her armor dismissed to reveal the blue dress underneath it.

"My, quite a large feast for a breakfast! Were you a gourmet chef in your past life, Archer?" asked Da Vinci who stared at the large amount of food with amazement.

"You could say that, Caster." Archer replied with a nonchalant but polite tone.

"Please, call me Da Vinci-chan like everyone else here." Da Vinci said with a polite tone of her own.

"Wow…" Saber drooled a bit as she felt her hunger risen.

Archer took notice and decided to point it out to prevent the Servant of Sword to lose dignity. "Oi Saber, you're drooling."

"O-Oh." Saber quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin cloth. "My fault, I should be a bit more tact in front of our hosts here." The woman said with a regal tone.

"Is it just me, or does she give off a charismatic aura?" wondered Emu who felt the urge to revere the hero of the past.

"Well, Saber here may be a knight who led an order in the past. Charisma was a necessary trait for such leaders in Medieval Europe." Takeru reasoned.

"Indeed, it is natural for a Servant of her stature to have such an aura." Olga Marie stated.

"Director, do you know my identity?" asked Saber with a suspicious tone.

"Yes, I learned it from a Servant who aided our group in dealing a Singularity caused by a corrupted version of you, Saber." Olga Marie stated.

"A corrupted version?" asked Archer who remembered that Aka mentioned that the group also fought a version of him in that Singularity.

"Yeah, she had your armored dress except it was black with weird, red vein-like markings on her body." Emu described the enemy Servant to the woman in question. "But Director, who is Saber?"

"I'm not going to reveal a Servant's name without their permission. It would be very lowly of a Magus of my stature to do such a thing. When necessary, she will reveal her identity to you all." Olga Marie stated with a noble tone.

Saber widened her eyes in surprise before smiling in respect. "I see… I'm quite grateful for your silence, Dir- no, Olga Marie Animusphere."

"You are welcome, Saber." responded Olga Marie with a similar smile.

"Well, there is one thing, I'm worried about, Director." Roman began.

"And what is that, Romani?" asked Olga Marie who gave an annoyed glance at the doctor.

"How are you going to eat?" asked Roman who gave a small glance at where the ghostly Director "sat" at her seat next to Takeru.

"I just realized that the Wimpy Doc has a point." Den-O said with a blunt tone.

"Sempai, I'm wondering how you're going to eat with your armor on." Emu pointed out.

"W-Well, it turns out that since Takeru here is acting as my anchor in this realm, anything he tastes, I can also taste. So…" Olga Marie theorized.

"So you two share a sense link basically." Emu summarized.

"That is some good quick thinking on your part, Takeru-kun. I never thought that the Eyecons can be used to also contain souls other than ones from the Throne of Heroes."

"Yeah, well I have seen it happen with the Eyecons from the Ganma World, so it should work with Director. Though… I think there might be some complications… *Sigh* If only Edith-san was here…" Takeru muttered the last part.

When the trio arrived they were treated to the sight of the large food spread at the central table.

"Whoa! You weren't kidding! Look at all this food!" shouted Yule in amazement.

"Yeah, *Sniff* The smell of father's food." Then drool dribbled from the redhead's mouth with hunger present in his eyes.

"Um Sempai, you're drooling." Mashu pointed out.

"Oh. Sorry, it's a force of habit." Aka apologized while wiping his mouth with his wrist.

"Oh, Young Master! Yule! Mashu-chan! We're over here!" shouted Da Vinci as she stood up and waved towards the three.

"So that's where they are sitting." Aka said after noticing the group.

"Well, at least we found our seat." Yule said as he walked forward to sit in the chair.

"Hai, Yule-san." Mashu followed along with Aka who still had his hungered face. "Sempai, you're drooling again."

"Oh." Then the redhead wiped his lip. "Maybe I should have that checked…"

* * *

Then the three sat at the table while exchanging greetings with the group they had become acquainted with since the First Order they were involved in. While they talked, some of the employees took notice at the arrival of the three.

"So that's him? The new kid who turns out to be our first Master?"

"I never imagined that an artificial super soldier would be a Master Potential…"

"So what if he's born in some test tube? Doesn't make him any less human than us."

"You fool! Weaponized soldiers are born to fight and die. They're disposable, yet this… thing became a Master."

"I know what you mean…"

Archer took notice to the gossip taking place with the seemingly oblivious redhead as the topic. "Seems like everyone's attention is on the kid."

"Can't blame them. 48 potential Masters were located and decided weeks ago, but only one survives the disaster. Suddenly, a 49th Master appears out of nowhere to save the day." Roman stated.

"Somehow I'm not surprised, the kid seems to have a knack to get dragged into danger. Though being chosen to become a Master is surprising, even to me."

"Maybe lady fate has been keeping an eye on a diamond in the rough." Da Vinci said.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that the kid will be accepted by everyone here. Especially the Magi working here. No offense by the way, director." Archer said.

"*Sigh* None taken." Olga Marie said with a sigh before she gave a glance at the redhead who was eating vigorously. "To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly happy to be trusting an outsider for help. But then again, we did ask several outsiders to volunteer to become Masters."

"You're correct, sir. Chaldea's goals are a world effort after all. We need all the help we can get to save Humanity's future. And they are our hope." Roman agreed.

"Hey! Aka, I was gonna eat that!" shouted Yule who pointed at the redhead who had his mouth full and chewing.

"MmMmMmMmmMmMmMmmMmmMmm…"

"Sempai, don't try to talk with your mouth full." Mashu admonished as the redhead swallowed his food.

"Sorry, I was saying that even at the table it is still a battlefield." Aka stated as he stabbed another piece of food to eat.

"That doesn't mean you get to be gluttonous, Aka." Yule said as he speared another piece for himself.

"Sorry, it's just been awhile since I ate Father's cooking." Aka said as he took a bite of the food before having a little bit of trouble swallowing.

Mashu realized that the redhead didn't chew his food properly and offered a glass of water. "Here sempai."

The redhead quickly took the glass and drank it down with the piece of food he has trouble swallowing. "*Gasp* Thank you, Mashu."

"Aka, didn't I tell you not to eat your food so quickly?" Archer said with an exasperated expression.

"Y-Yes, Father. I won't make that same mistake again."

"Good, and eat properly. There's no need to worry about anyone stealing your food."

"Understood." Aka nodded as he continued to eat.

* * *

After everyone finished eating their respective meals, Da Vinci started tapping her glass with her spoon to gain the table's attention. "Okay, now that we have finished or finishing eating," She emphasized in part to Saber who was eating a large bowl of fried rice alongside Aka. "we must go on to the reason I wanted everyone here today. Something that is to be discussed with utmost importance: Giving the young Master here a proper name." Da Vinci announced to everyone present while gesturing to the eating redhead at the table.

"Oh come on, are we still going on about that?" asked Yule who did not like how they just keep picking on the name he gave Aka.

"I have to agree with Da Vinci here. Aka isn't a proper name for this kid, it's more like a nickname." Archer stated, causing Yule to feel a figurative block smack into his head.

"I agree." Saber said with a nod before she continued to eat.

"Same here." Takeru agreed.

"Ditto." Emu said.

"Yep. No kid would actually name their kid, Aka." Den-O said while begrudgingly remembering a certain no-naming-sense friend of his.

"Indeed." Olga Marie said.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like a name." Roman said with an honest tone but he did appear apologetic to the white haired Potential Master.

"You guys are way too brutal…" Yule said with a downed look before let his face make contact with the table.

"So we're all in agreement, now what name should we bestow onto this young soul? I see him as a **Roberto** , any other suggestions?" asked Da Vinci as she gave her suggestion.

"Hm… how about **Arthur**?" suggested Saber.

"Isn't that a bit unoriginal?" asked Archer with a deadpan tone.

"So what if it is? How about you come up with something, Archer? You are Master's Father, after all." asked Saber with an annoyed tone.

"Who said I was even his relative? *Sigh* But fine… Why not **Shinikishi (Death Knight)**?" suggested the tanned Servant.

"That's a bit morbid…" Yule said with a sweat drop after lifting his head up.

"Nope." Zelretch said while sitting at the table.

"Hmph, well I don't see you suggesting- Wait… Zelretch?! When did you-"

The older man held his hand up and blew the steam coming from his cup of tea. "Not right now, Archer. I'm drinking tea."

"Hm… **Adnet**?" suggested Olga Marie while resisting the urge to worry about the present Wizard Marshall.

"Already taken." Zelretch responded automatically.

" **Roland**?" Emu said while trying to come up with a name.

"Nah, we might have confusion if the real Roland is summoned, Emu-san." Takeru responded

"Your names are dumb! We should go with **Denraiden**!" proclaimed Den-O.

" _ **Denied!**_ " shouted everyone except Aka and Zelretch who only looked amused at how the discussion about what the redhead's official name was going.

"Shut up! The name Denraiden is an awesome name!" shouted Den-O.

"I believe Roberto is a more fitting name!" Da Vinci emphasized.

" **Avalo**." Saber stated.

"Seriously, why would you name him such an odd name? **Kuroshini (Black Death)** works just as well." Archer said with a joking tone.

"Being named after a plague doesn't exactly spell confidence or good luck." Emu said with a sweat drop on his head.

"Wow, everyone's quite determined in giving you a name, sempai." Mashu said while observing the discussion with Aka.

"Indeed." The redhead responded before he turned to Mashu with a curious look. "Mashu, do you have a name for me?"

"Name? Well… I'm not one for naming." Mashu responded while looking down. "But, I think that they'll come up with a name that fits you perfectly."

"I see… Yet why do I feel a bit disappointed?" wondered the redhead aloud. The somehow made Mashu feel a bit more bad that she couldn't come up with an actual name for the redhead.

"If I may… Can I make a suggestion that may end this argument?" requested Zelretch who caught everyone's undivided attention. Now, when the Second Magician asked for one's attention, better give him that attention otherwise...

"What are you up to this time, old man? You're not one to help out unless you got some interest or you're bored." Archer stated after years of dealing with the True Magician, he had to be extremely cautious with every word and actions he made around the elder man.

"Well, you can say that giving the boy an identity has caught my interest. So I have an item that will solve this matter peacefully." Then the man took out a card that was blank on one end but had a blue and yellow energy cover.

"A card? What does that do?" asked Archer who had a bad feeling considering how unintentionally dangerous Zelretch was.

"Oh, you'll know soon enough. Here, take it, kid." Zelretch handed the card to Aka who took it and suddenly the card glowed before a new image formed to reveal a mechanical android with a tank tread lower body, cannon arms, and shoulder cannons. The title of the card was:

" **Rothus the Traveler**?" Aka read aloud.

"Congratulations! That will be your new name from now on, **Rothus**!" Zelretch said with a knowing smirk.

Taking a curious glance at the subtext of the card, Yule read it. "Rothus the Traveler… 'Though battered and scarred, I march on through wars, storms, and strife. I march on.' Quite the fitting description for you, Aka." Yule said in acknowledgement.

"Hm… Not what I had in mind, but it somehow does sound fitting to you, Young Master." Da Vinci said with agreement.

"Really? What do you think, Father?" asked Aka who turned to the older man for confirmation.

"Well… It fits you quite nicely, Rothus." Archer commented by using the name, somehow it didn't feel off when he called the redhead that name. "Hm… yep, that name does work."

"Rothus… My name is now Rothus…" muttered the newly named Rothus as the card in his hand glowed before flying into the tome attached to his right arm. The tome quickly opened up to reveal a page that glowed then dimmed to reveal a picture of Rothus now wearing a white and black t shirt with his left hand raised in front of his chest to show off the Command Seals on the top of the hand. Then words formed the page adjacent to the illustration.

* * *

 **Master: Rothus**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: C**

 **Mana:?**

 **Luck: -EX?**

 **?: ?**

 **Alignment: Chaotic/Weird Good**

 **Description 1 : An artificial super soldier who is now recruited as a Master for the world-saving goals of Chaldea. Be wary of his presence, for dangers of all sorts and kinds seem to occur around him.**

* * *

Olga Marie flew out of her seat to get a closer look at the opened tome. Surprise formed on her face as she saw a new page in the book. "It updated again!"

"A page about me?" Rothus wondered as several of the members at the table gathered to look at the new pages.

"Seems like it, Aka." Yule said with curiosity at the tome in the redhead's possession. Then he chuckled at the first description. "Man, that statement is actually the best way to describe your luck!"

"But why make a profile of me?" wondered Rothus with a tilt of a head.

"Maybe it's to mark you as its owner, Rothus." Emu concluded while tilting his head to the newly named redhead.

"That does seem to be the case." Roman agreed.

Takeru gave a curious glance at the book. "Yeah. Though what can it do besides allow you to transform like us and keep track of information?"

"I'm quite curious myself." Saber stated with an analytical stare. She was not one for books, even when Merlin taught her how to read, but there was some sort of power emanating from the magical book.

"Same here." Da Vinci said. "I have seen and read several spell tomes and grimoires, but your tome gives off a unique signature, young Master."

"I can't deny my curiosity as well, but why do I have feeling that book is going to bring us a lot of trouble?" wondered Archer as he crossed his arms. He didn't like leaving dangerous things to the redheaded kid he saved, much less trust the kid to _not_ level a city with such things.

"Looks like your parent's intuition is finally kicking in, Archer! *Laughs*" The older mage laughed loudly.

"Tch. Shut up, you old geezer. So what brings the True Mage of the Second Magic here?" asked Archer with narrowed eyes and a displeased frown at the elder man's presence.

Silence took place as several Chaldean employees had been staring in shock at the appearance of one of the most well known and most dangerous mages to exist. In response, the man gave a big smile before responding without a miss of a beat.

"Cutting to the chase as usual. Very well, I just wanted to tell you people about that you won't be dealing with just seven Singularities."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Yes… Yes… I am horrible at writing riddles, but you people at least get what is Aka's true name? If not, it's fine, I might scrap it in favor of Rothus. Besides, I was planning different ideas but… I seriously need help with this fic. But now I decided to go with a plan for craziness to go down just for the amusement of Zelretch.**

 **But this is also to psyche myself up to finish my second Kamen Rider crossover story: RWBY Gaiden: The Duty of Saviors. And yes, that was an event that I planned for Team RGLA.**

 **Fun Fact: Syforce is another name related to the card series that Rothus the Traveler came from.**

 **Sorry if I was a bit late on this chapter, I had a lot of work in the in between along with making the grades. Besides that, I'll try to get a move on the next arc, but let me hint that it won't be in France.**

 **Note: I might still update the chapter a bit.**


	7. Chapter 2-2: Rest Before the Next Battle

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate Series or Kamen Rider Series except I own my OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2-2: Rest Before the Next Battle Part 2**

* * *

(Shikisai- Sakamoto Maaya)

 _Instrumental_

Several pages fly through the air and gather into a book before being closed by a hand covered in armor.

"The Will of History, Record. What will fate bring him to as the curtain of the Grand Order rises?"

A close up view showed the featureless masked face of the hand's owner, Record. He turns around as the scenery is covered by a various amount of symbols along with seven cards which each depicts a different type of hero. Then the titles forms on the screen:

 **Kamen Rider Record: The Will and Grand Order**

/ **Hitori ni naru to kikoeru no** / - / **When I'm alone, I can hear the words** /

Rothus is seen in a tube with several wires attached to his body with his eyes closed. Then he opens his eyes to find himself sitting in a battlefield filled with the corpses of several soldiers in mechanical armor, and he also wore similar armor. Noticeably some of the corpses have arrows pinning them to walls or in the ground. He stands up and soon the scene changes and twists before he stands in front of Archer in a city with gray clouds.

/ **kurushii nara yamete ii to** / - / **"If it's painful, feel free to stop"** /

The man smiles and turns away from the teen, causing Rothus to chase after him. Next, Rothus, in different clothing, which is a short-sleeved white shirt with baggy black pants, steps into a hall of Chaldea and he sees Yule give him a wave with his right hand. The redhead runs past the silver haired young man towards a different destination.

/ **Burakku hooru mitai ni fukaku** / - / **Deep, almost like a black hole** /

Then Yule turns around and follows the redhead until he passes a woman with long braided blond hair and a flag, catching his attention. The 48th Master potential turns around and the young woman faces him with a smile. Noticeably, the two are standing on a castle wall riddled with arrows.

/ **kowakute miryokuteki na amai koe ga** / - / **from a sweet voice, frightening and tempting.** /

Standing in a grass meadow where rain fell is Emu who holds a yellow cartridge belonging to a late friend. The medical intern transitions into the pink-armored Kamen Rider Ex-Aid who turns to the arrival of Rothus who continues running and passes him.

/ **Anata no kuchiguse wo manete** / - / **I'll try mimicking the words you so often speak** /

Ex-Aid turns around to follow the cyborg redhead, but then a blade covered in flames flew right at the pink Kamen Rider, forcing him to lean back as its edge moved above him. Ex-Aid rolls back and jumps onto a high brick block before taking out his Gashacon Breaker. Standing on the meadow is a young woman in a red dress who swings her flaming sword before readying herself to fight the Kamen Rider. Noticeably, she shares the same face as Saber, but she had a haughtier expression.

/ **nan demo nai to itte miru** / - / **and say that it's nothing.** /

Rothus continues running and enters on the deck of a ship where it rocks a bit, putting him in a stumble but not stopping his pace. On the deck is Takeru who is staring at a sphere which is a dull grey before he transitions into Ghost. Then Olga Marie floats in near the Kamen Rider to point at the running redhead. The two try to greet him only that he ignores them and sprints past them. The two try to follow him only that they nearly run into a light pink-haired woman in a purple and red kimono.

/ **Sore ga uso demo kamawanai** / - / **It doesn't matter if that's a lie** /

The two turn around to look at the woman who smiles in response to their attention on her. Then another Kamen Rider Ghost shows up from behind the woman except he has red armor with a metal eye on the chest, jacket, and a flame-like mask. Alongside them was a man in Japanese samurai clothing with a long katana resting on his shoulder. Unnoticed, the sphere that Takeru was looking at earlier has its back change color into a scarlet red.

Rothus is now seen running through a green meadow at night, then he stops before Mashu who smiles towards him.

/ **tachitsudzukeru douki ni nareba** / - / **if it gives me a motive to continue to stand…** /

The pair turn to the side with as light shines upon the meadow. Then Saber joins them and draws her sword, Excalibur, at the ready. Then Yule shows up with the blond girl with braided long hair who is still holding the flag. She plants the flag into the ground and draws her sword, standing next to the Servants ready for battle. They charge down the slope as several people stand in their way.

 _Instrumental_

With each beat, people in a variety of outfits and armors from different eras of the past stand before the three. Then Kamen Riders Ex-Aid, Ghost, and Den-O join in with their weapons raised.

/ **Watashi ga miteru mirai wa hitotsu dake** / - / **There is only one future that I see.** /

As Rothus and Yule watch the fight unfold, several pages flew through the air. A page flies towards the fight between Saber and a blond haired man in golden armor who fights her with a bit of ease and agility. Then Archer appears and supports her before he deflects an arrow from a man with dark skin and wears a white suit.

/ **eien nado sukoshi mo hoshiku wa nai** / - / **Eternity isn't something I want in the least.** /

Another page flies towards the blond young woman who clashes her sword with another young woman who shares her face but has a crueler demeanor. In another location with another page, Ex-Aid is seen fending off the girl who attacked him earlier with his hammer now in sword mode before he equips his red armor that grants him a robot arm and fires the fist at the red version of Saber. Meanwhile, Ghost is clashing with a knight in black armor who nearly overwhelms him until the woman in the kimono and the red Ghost protects and helps him.

/ **Ichibyou isshun ga itooshii** / - / **Every second, every moment is dear to me** /

The pages fly back and now with illustrations of the Servants and Kamen Riders before, they gather into the Tome that materializes onto Rothus's right arm. Then the redhead is covered in pages before they transform into a white and black metal armor . He jumps forward to aid Mashu as his featureless dome helmet constructs over his head.

/ **anata ga iru sekai ni watashi mo ikiteru** / - / **I, too, am living in the world where you are.** /

The armored soldier lands next to the Demi-Servant who blocks another attack. The Tome opens to materialize a golden and jeweled hilt that Rothus draws and swings out, creating a golden flash that engulfs the screen.

 _Instrumental_

Then flashes of different scenes are shown starting with several shadowed people who appear on screen with a shared characteristic of blue and green eyes. One Silhouette had six arms with the left arms wielding an axe, thin-bladed sword, and a claymore-like sword.

Den-O is seen with a young man with messy black hair and they face a white-haired woman in a white kimono with a blue jacket and black scarf who points her katana at them. Standing next to the woman is a black-haired woman of similar age who wears a black military uniform and a red cape.

Takeru is seen with Olga Marie in front of a stained glass window with the two Japanese swordsmen and the red Kamen Rider Ghost.

Saber and Archer walk past each other, not sparing a glance at each other.

The group of Kamen Riders, Rothus, and Mashu run on a stone bridge as a large golem smashes apart the bridge behind them before forcing them to jump off.

Rothus is seen sleeping in a meadow as four shadows tower over him. He wakes up and the shadows turn out to just be Mashu, Yule, Emu, and Takeru. They smile and help the redhead onto his feet. Then the group walks off and onwards, towards a sunny horizon.

* * *

"So what brings the practitioner of the Second Magic here?" asked Archer who was still cautious of whatever insanity that the man had in store.

The other members at the table minus the ones who had no idea who the man was, which were just the Kamen Riders and Saber. Rothus gave an indifferent face as he continued to eat. Mashu gave a somewhat suspicious look since she had limited information on who Zelretch was. Olga Marie was nervous because of the presence of one of the most accomplished and True Mages in history. Roman could feel the tension in the air while Da Vinci just smiled and waved off the Wizard Marshall's presence as something normal.

"Cutting to the chase as usual. Very well, I just wanted to tell you people about that you won't be dealing with just seven Singularities."

This news shocked the group because they had thought that taking care of the seven singularities could bring back humanity's future. Though the ones who were shocked were the Kamen Riders, the semi-former Director, current acting Director, the 48th Master Potential, and the Servants. Rothus and Da Vinci treated such a situation as normal.

"M-More than the identified Seven?!" said Roman.

"Is that true, Wizard Marshal?!" shouted Olga Marie.

"Seriously?! Man… this feels like that one RPG title where it turns out there isn't just five demon lords I have to fight to win the game…" Emu slumped with a sigh.

Rothus did not seemed bothered as he continued to eat. "Is that bad? We just have to fight through those Singularities in order to achieve our main goals."

"Not quite simple, Red. Especially with these guys here," The older man pointed at a certain group.

Everyone turned to the present Kamen Riders who sat at the table.

"and they're quite the magnets to universal, boundary-breaking, and quantum-destructive threats." Zelretch summarized how danger seemed to find the Kamen Riders. Surprisingly, the Mage's Association was having a hard time keeping track of those incidents, but written most off as fiction. Couldn't help it since one of those incidents involving thirteen Kamen Riders in a battle royale had completely disappeared from the timeline. Zelretch decided to hold off on that information until the group encountered those certain Kamen Riders.

"Eh? Us?" asked Emu as he pointed to himself then Takeru, and Den-O.

"Yep. Though you guys don't realize it, but Kamen Riders are quite a misaligned existence. Each year there is a major conflict and suddenly, POP, a new Kamen Rider appears to save the day! You people come out one after another like rabbits! *Laughs*" In the public eye about Japan, there were so many dangerous situations that nearly ended the world, that the number of resident heroes to respond to those situations also increased.

"So wait, is there some sort of source to why Kamen Riders suddenly appear, Wizard Marshall?" asked Roman who took interest in the conversation, details were shady at best about the existence of the Kamen Riders.

The older man gave them all a dead-serious stare before responding, "No idea." Then groans and dissatisfied faces followed.

"So um… who are you, Zelrech-san?" asked Takeru who was quite clueless of the older man's status.

"Good question, since we need some exposition here. To all you unknowing boys and girls, my name is **Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg** also known by my title as the Magician of the Second True Magic."

"The second True Magic? But isn't everyone here already capable of Magic."

"Not really, magecraft and True Magic are two different things, Emu. Magecraft is the study into obtaining a True Magic, which usually takes decades' worth of research and experimenting. A True Magic is currently identified into five kinds. Wizard Marshall here is capable of the Second Magic, Kaleidoscope, a Magic that allows him access to alternate realities."

"So in other words, he's like Decade. Hmph, no wonder I smell that similar arrogant stench off the old man."

"Decade?"

"Sempai is talking about Kamen Rider Decade, another, older Kamen Rider who is also capable of traveling to alternate realities. But… I don't remember if he was with us during that battle back in 2016."

"He wasn't, Tsukasa was running an errand for me as my student." Zelretch said

"So it is his fault! FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

"Did something happen to Decade-sempai that caused the boundaries to weaken?" asked Takeru as the group just tuned out Den-O's rant before someone threw an apple at him. Then the train Rider pointed at someone in the crowd and charged at him.

"Yes and no, Tsukasa does have the power to hold the boundaries between universes in place, but he cannot fully drag them together that is why I sent him away to investigate. Given the fact that there was an alternate Fuyuki, I can conclude that somewhere in this universe, this antagonist is trying to drag not just this world's humanity, but others as well into a disastrous future." Zelretch responded as the commotion in the background took place, completely ignoring it along with the group.

"…!" Everyone looked worried about this new information.

"Is there a way to stop whoever is causing this?" asked Emu.

"Ask that question to Rothus here, he's the Record after all." Zelretch stated with a shrug.

"If you don't mind me asking, Mister Zelretch. What is Record? And why am I referred to as the Will of History?" asked the redhead in question. While he did accepted the title, that didn't mean he knew about the power he was given.

Zelretch cupped his chin while closing his eyes to give a proper description while not giving too much about the power in the redhead's possession. "Hm… The best way to describe Record is that a certain individual is chosen by that Record Tome in your possession and tested for a certain specification."

"And what is that?" asked Rothus.

"To have no desire to become a Hero, no willingness to be a Protector, no ambition to become an Adventurer, and no virtue to become a Savior." Zelretch listed off since he didn't want to give too much away. Hey, don't look at me like that! Just stick to the script! Sorry, I wasn't referring to you all by the way, I was talking to the Wizard Marshall.

"I see… that actually makes sense." Rothus narrowed his eyes in puzzlement since there was something else that was bothering him. "But when it asked me those questions… why did I have knowledge of those answers?"

"Because you already experienced those four roles." Zelretch answered before taking a sip of his lukewarm tea. What? You wanted it to still be warm? Fine! Then the Wizard Marshall drank his still-warm tea. *Grumble*

"I… already experienced them?" repeated Rothus as he looked up in surprise.

"What do you mean, Wizard Marshall?" asked Olga Marie.

"Observe the boy and you'll see, how those experiences came to be. *Chuckle* Got to remember that one for my students." Zelretch smiled while mentally noting that rhyming quote down. You're the one who came it up, so you deal with any of readers that will complain about it.

"This isn't a time for games, sir! This power of Record, can it help us?" asked Olga Marie.

"That is up to the Will and the decisions he makes."

"So we're back to square one." Roman sighed.

"Yep. Now onto another topic. Rothus, can you take off your shirt?"

"Huh? Sure." Then the redhead took off his shirt despite all the gazes on him. After taking off his sleeveless shirt, his bare chest had a red tattoo that appeared to be like a power symbol seen on computers but the line in the center was replaced with a sword and there was a faded outer pattern around the symbol.

"A second Command Spell?!" shouted Olga Marie.

"Yes and no, that is a spell seal, but it isn't a Command Spell. And it seems like you already made a wish, Red." Zelretch said as he analyzed the boy's body and took notice at the faded outer pattern.

"I have?"

"Yes, see that faded pattern? It appears that you made a wish quite recently."

"Recently? Did my act of summoning Father have anything to do with it?"

"No, that was just a lucky summon on your part, kid." Zelretch stated as gave an analyzing stare at the Seal.

"Wizard Marshall, is it all right if I asked you a question?"

"Sure, fire away, Doctor."

"Was Rothus here made by a Magus?"

"Yep. To be more specific, he was a project I made on the side in order to test a magecraft relying on turning mana into physical energy." Zelretch answered while still examining the seal on the boy's chest.

"But is there something more to him? You said that he made a wish."

"Yes, and that is what I am trying to figure out. Did his body glow at some point in time?" asked Zelretch though he had not left his gaze on the seal.

"Glow?" Mashu repeated while thinking of that sort of event when she remembered how Rothus's body glowed when they were escaping the Singularity. "That's right! Sempai did glow when we were escaping Singularity F!"

"I see, then that means he created a leyline that allowed you all to escape."

"He what? That shouldn't be possible! Leylines are the natural areas of where mana is produced the greatest on earth! A single person can't just simply make it!"

"True, but this kid is a unique case. After all, his creator and I gave him the ability to do so. But it appears that power is still developing." Zelretch said as he stood straight up. "You can put on your shirt, red."

"Understood." Rothus responded as he put on his sleeveless shirt.

"Seems like you took my advice on using those wishes sparingly, kid." Zelretch said.

"Of course, you said that my limit was once per month, Mister Zelretch." Rothus recalled.

"Yep, though I think your status as a Master seems to stabilize that wish granting ability of yours, kid. And it appears that the seal will restore itself in time."

"Really?" asked Rothus with a somewhat hopeful tone.

"But I still recommend not using another wish. Don't want to rip open another portal to Hell again now, do we?" Zelretch gave an amused smile at the memory of helping the redhead and Archer close the portal for the fun of it.

"Wait, what's this about portals to Hell?" asked Roman with a puzzled tone.

"You don't want to know, Doctor." Archer warned with his mind trying to suppress that one memory of how he and Rothus had to escape Hell after the redhead somehow managed to tear open such a portal by accident.

Rothus also remembered that incident and he frowned about that was one of the many times he nearly got his father killed. "Sorry about that, Father."

"*Sigh* It wasn't your fault, kid. As much as I loathe it, being reminded by the Old Man also helped me remember to keep you away from any pentagram spell circles."

"What in God's name happened, Archer?" asked Saber who appeared worried about Servant of the Bow since he was usually wearing a calm mask. What sort of event did he and his son get caught him that shook him that much?

"Well… Fighting legions of Hellspawn can be very exhausting on the psyche, Saber." Archer responded with a sigh. "And with this kid's luck, expect that sort of action on every mission in this organization. Or at worse, every day."

Yule saw that weary look and understood what the man said since he had his fair share of dangers while traveling with the redhead. And he was supposed to just be a fortuneteller! "…As much as I want to deny it, Rothus does have a track record of attracting danger or getting into dangerous situations unwittingly."

Rothus showed a bit of guilt and once again apologized. "Sorry about that, Mister Syforce."

"Nah, don't sweat about it, Aka. Even though we went through that crazy roller-coaster of an adventure, I still enjoyed my time with you." The young man stated with a carefree smile. "Besides, I sort of attracted those dangers myself, so I have to take some blame."

"What sort of situations did you two get involved in?" asked Mashu with a concerned tone.

Yule pulled out his hands while looking at the ceiling to remember what sort of dangers they got caught in. While doing so he counted off with his fingers. "Let's see… Bounty hunters, corrupt corporations, mafia, Yakuza, biker gangs, mercenaries, other weaponized soldiers, some crazy cults, and… oh yeah! Cloned hitmen!"

"Cloned… hitmen?" Emu repeated with a scrunched up face that said his nonbelief as such a claim.

"I'm serious on that one!" shouted Yule. "46 of the same bastard tried to kill us! I was lucky Rothus here knows 46 ways to kill someone!"

"Mister Syforce, I am programmed with 499 ways to kill a living being directly and indirectly."

"Um… How many of those are directly?" asked Takeru.

Rothus gave a nonchalant stare and thought out the number as a display appeared in front of his eyes. "Hm… 46."

"S-Scary…" Emu commented at the number of indirect ways to die while inching away from the redhead.

"Sempai, you're making everyone uncomfortable just by knowing that fact." Mashu whispered to the redhead.

"Really?" asked the redhead as he looked around to see some of the employees quickly look away before turning to the group who looked at him nervously. "Oh, I apologize for my lack of subtlety. But I only wished to correct Mister Syforce's claim of my knowledge."

"Yeah, but I didn't exactly asked you to go into detail of how much you know about killing people! Honestly, you're too honest for your own good sometimes, Aka." Yule stated with a sigh.

"It seems so, I guess I am still untrained in the art of etiquette."

"More on the lines of reading the situation." Takeru said.

"No, he can read the situation, the problem is how he perceives it…" corrected Archer.

"Archer's right on that part. The black and white morality can't be understood by Aka." Yule stated. "But I don't consider that a bad thing."

"But it's not a good thing either. That's why he still has a lot to learn." Archer pointed out.

Then Den-O came back to the table and sat in his seat. "So what'd I miss?" asked the Veteran Kamen Rider as he looked around.

"Just Rothus's unusual habit of attracting danger." Takeru answered.

"Really? So the kid's luck is as bad as Ryotaro's." Den-O with a nonchalant tone with a chuckle. Which he suddenly cut off with a scream and slamming his arms on the table. "GAAAAAGH! I forgot about Ryotaro! Damn it! Of all the important people I forget, it had to be him!"

"Um, sempai… What's so important about Ryotaro-sempai?" asked Takeru. He only heard from Den-O's stories that he originally came from a young man named Ryotaro who he cared about like a brother.

"He's a Singularity Point! Without him! Then our present will cease to exist!"

"Whoa! Slow down, sempai! What is a Singularity Point?"

"A Fixed Point in time that cannot be erased, no matter how much of the past is changed. They will still exist in the present, even if one were to kill them in the past." Zelretch explained before sipping his tea slowly.

"Such an individual, exists?! Then that means there's hope for our future…" Roman trailed off before remembering Den-O's earlier shout. "You forgot to bring such an important person?!"

"OI! Don't go wailing on me, I'm already stressed enough as it is just remembering!" shouted Den-O. "Without Ryotaro or Hanakuso Onna, we might as well kiss the future goodbye."

"Oh dear. If what he's claiming is true then…" Da Vinci said with a hint of concern.

"Don't worry, I have made sure of Ryotaro-kun's survival along with a certain individual." Owner stated as he sipped some tea while sitting across from Zelretch.

"Eh?" said everyone when they noticed the unknown and effeminate man sitting in the chair suddenly.

"Thank goodness! So where is he, Owner?"

"I only had a limited amounted of time. So I dropped him and Hana off in a time period that hasn't disappeared yet."

"So he and Hana are stuck in a Singularity?! Old man, you can't just leave them in a place like that! And without a belt as well!" shouted Den-O since he knew that no matter where his former host went, trouble would follow like his shadow.

"Don't worry, your brothers are protecting them as we speak."

"No wonder they weren't on the train… Wait, what about Naomi?"

"Here~" A girl in a waitress dress appeared and gave a coffee with an odd topping to Den-O.

"Thank you! *Sip* Ah! That hits the spot! So where were we?"

"You were muttering about something related to your brothers?"

"Oh yeah!" Then there was a small pause before, "AAAAAGGHHHHH! WE NEED TO SAVE THEM IMMEDIATELY OR THERE WON'T BE A FUTURE!"

"Calm down, sempai!" shouted Takeru as he restrained the older Kamen Rider by holding his arms up.

As the commotion took place, Rothus began stacking the plates before balancing a tower of them and walking to place them at a counter where a conveyor belt that sent plates into a dish cleaning machine. But as he carried them, a leg stretched out which blocked his way. An employee thought it would be best to show the artificial soldier his place. Though this would be a mistake as the redhead stretched his next step as bit farther and his right foot was above the leg. When it came down, there was the sound of a sickening snap, squish, and a thud followed by a scream.

"GAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH! MY LEG! HE F*CKING BROKE MY F*CKING LEG!"

Rothus looked a bit confused and tilted his head and saw the employee on the ground clutching his knee due to the flattened middle of his broken leg. "Oh, sorry. I wasn't able to watch my step due to these plates."

"F*CK YOU! YOU TUBE-BORNED MACHINLING!" shouted the employee with a venomous tone.

Rothus didn't seemed fazed by the insult and turned to the direction of the table he came from. "Doctor! A man is in need of medical attention!"

With a somewhat delayed reaction, Roman quickly got to his feet and ran to check on the poor man. "G-Got it!"

"*Sigh* Goes to show you shouldn't try to pull that trick on a 500 pound artificial soldier." Yule said with a shake of his head.

"Wait, he weighs how much?! But he doesn't seemed to be over 120!" shouted Emu with wide eyes.

"But Mashu had to help you carry him to the medical bay, right?" asked Zelretch with a confident smirk.

Emu was about to retort but it died down when he realized he did had a hard time trying to even lift the cyborg redhead at least an inch above ground. Then there were the attempts to find a bed sturdy enough to hold his seemingly impossible weight. "Good point. Wait, how do you know that?"

"Because I'm Zelretch." The man responded with an unreadable smile before sipping his tea once again.

"Don't bother arguing with the old man, you'll only lose." Archer interjected

"Emu, I need some assistance!" called Roman as he placed a stretcher down.

"Uh, hai!" Emu said before leaving his seat to help the head doctor.

After seeing the young medical intern leave the table, Archer turned to Saber who was oddly silent and had a troubled face. "Something the matter, Saber?"

"H-Huh? Sorry, I was just mulling about our current situation, that's all." replied Saber with a steady tone and a furrowed brow. "Our master… You claim he is created, correct?"

"Yeah. The kid was born from a tube and then repurposed for battle. Simple as that." Archer responded with a blunt tone,

"I see…" Saber responded with a low tone and a cautious stare at the redhead who helped the Doctor by incapacitating the injured employee through a headlock. Though he received a reprimand later for his action. Then Emu and Roman managed to place the unconscious employee onto the stretcher and they pulled him out of the cafeteria.

"Let me guess, is this about your history with homunculi?" asked the red bowman.

Saber widened her eyes and turned to the man who gave a sarcastic smirk.

"Don't be so surprised, I know many things about you during my time alive. But don't worry about the kid, he isn't as dangerous as he was in the past." Archer assured but knew that would not enough to convince her.

"…Even though he is still a weapon created to fight?"

"Even though Rothus there wasn't even treated as a human, Miss Saber, given correct guidance and he can become something akin to a human being." Zelretch stated while giving a glance to Archer.

"Even if you say that… I can't help but have doubt in him." Saber said with a guilty tone. It was wrong for her personal feelings to get in the way of her duty, but she can't help but feel troubled over what her new master was.

"Well this is getting a bit dramatic…" Den-O whispered to Takeru who nodded in return from overhearing the conversation. The Kamen Rider wasn't exactly surprised at the knight's aversion as he was no stranger to his earlier treatment with one of his begrudgingly known acquaintances.

Then Rothus reappeared with his hands free. "Sir, may I be excused from this table meeting?"

"Oh, very well Rothus, we will pick this meeting up later today. Is there an urgent reason on your agenda today?" asked the somewhat former Director.

"Hm… First, I need to organize my inventory for the next battle. That last Singularity left much to take into account… the antagonistic Servant… the sudden appearance of the Kamen Riders… this Record Tome… and the amount of dangers I will need to prepare for on the battlefield." The cyborg redhead listed off the number of factors to take into account.

"True. Very well, you may take account of your inventory. But-" Mary Olga made a finger point gesture with the glove still attached to her sleeve. "one of the higher positioned members of Chaldea must be present to also take into account how much you brought into the organization and deem what you brought as an asset or a hazard."

Archer gave a nod in agreement. "That might be a good idea, director. Rothus does have a tendency to carry some dangerous items. Do you still carry out that container of Nitroglycerin?" asked the tanned man who internally hoped the teen didn't carry around that time bomb.

"Yes."

"Seriously?! Why haven't you gotten rid of that bottle of Nitro?!" shouted Yule who had some bad memories of how the redhead carried around the deadly bottle.

"Because it holds sentimental value to me." Rothus said with a small reminder that the bottle was one of the few items he received from his father.

"Sentimental?! Last time I checked, your idea of 'sentimental' is something extremely dangerous to us normal humans!" shouted Yule as he slammed his hands on the table in frustration. The very last thing he remembered the redhead labeled sentimental was a deactivated bomb he himself disabled in order to save Rothus.

"But you aren't exactly normal along with everyone here, Mr. Syforce." Rothus pointed out.

"Don't dodge the problem here, Aka!" shouted Yule as he slammed the table.

"Um sempai. Not to be rude, but… What is so special about a bottle of Nitroglycerin tablets?" asked Mashu with a clueless but curious tone.

"No, not the medical kind, Mashu. We're talking about my container of liquid Nitroglycerin." Responded the redhead, much to the surprise of the group.

"L-Liquid Nitroglycerin?! Why were you carrying such a dangerous chemical?" shouted the semi-former director.

"Wait, what is Nitroglicerrrrrrr…" Takeru tried repeating the word but felt he couldn't pronounce it right in English.

"It's Nitroglycerin, Takeru-san. It's a chemical usually used for medical treatments or making explosives such as dynamite." Da Vinci pointed out. "Though I'm quite surprised that the young Master here knows its uses."

"It's actually common knowledge for weaponized soldiers, Miss Da Vinci. I have been taught how to make weapons on the fly since weapons brought on hand are likely to suffer damage in the early stages of battle. So it is necessary to turn even the most insignificant objects into weapons capable of even killing me."

"Yeah, but you're not exactly like those on-site factory soldiers, Rothus." Yule pointed out.

"That is true. But it is necessary I prepare for the next few battles. Servants may be able to defeat Servants, but… "

"You want to find a way to kill them without our help, Rothus?" concluded Archer. "Sounds like you do not trust us enough."

The redhead quickly raised his hands in a bit of a panicking motion. "I do trust you Father! Along with Mashu and Saber. But… being prepared for an encounter with an enemy Servant without either of you present is necessary." Rothus responded.

"Good point. But don't go overboard in your preparations." Archer begrudgingly allowed.

"Hmph, seems like you have decided your next plan, Will of History." Zelretch said a content look in his eyes.

Rothus frowned a bit at the title while scratching the back of his head. "That title still confounds me… Oh well, I better start unpacking. Miss Da Vinci, can you come help?"

"Of course, Young Master!"

"Oi! Who said you could decide who will account for your inventory?" asked Olga Marie who did not like that the redhead was deciding who came with him.

"Sir, you said that a higher ranking Chaldean member must keep an eye on me while I unpack. Besides, isn't there some surveillance equipment in the room? Wait, is my bag still in Mister Syforce's room?"

"Nope, I decided to move your stuff to the room next to mines, Aka." Yule said though he did needed a bit of help moving that extremely heavy backpack.

"Thank you. After I am done with taking inventory sir, I do wish to discuss with you and Mister Tenkuji on the matter of this Tome."

"Hm… Very well, let us cover what is known about this Record Tome with the Wizard Marshal."

"Sure, but I'll only answer the right questions." Zelretch said after witnessing the interactions of the group before him.

"*Sigh* I expect as much, Wizard Marshall. Very well, Rothus you may leave now. But bring Mashu with you."

"Eh? You sound like you don't trust me, Marie." Da Vinci said with a calm tone but knowing smirk.

"I trust you enough not to be incompetent, Da Vinci. But I don't trust you enough to not test a new device while 'helping' Rothus." The last time she let Da Vinci help guide new recruits, she dragged them into pulling several all-nighters for one of her projects. "Besides, Mashu should be at her Master's side at all times."

"You have an astute point, sir!" praised the redhead. "Even in that form, your deductive leadership has not diminished!"

"Eh? W-Well of course! I am a head of Animusphere family, after all!" stated Olga Marie while crossing her sleeves and puffing her chest.

"At least you seem in higher spirits, Marie-san." Takeru said with a smile.

The female poltergeist glared at the young man and pushed her face in front of his with a threatening stare. "What is that supposed to mean, Takeru?"

"I'll be taking my leave now, sir." Rothus said with a short bow before leaving the cafeteria with Da Vinci following him.

Mashu got up from her seat and followed them. "Sempai! Wait up!" shouted Mashu causing the two to stop and wait for the girl to shortly catch up to them.

"You know… I hope that Aka doesn't still carry around that bundle of expired C4…" Yule said with a sweatdrop on his head.

"I'm more worried about him carrying around that bar of uranium…" Archer admitted with some memories of how the redhead refused to get rid of the radioactive bar.

"Seriously?! Yeesh, I wouldn't be surprised if he had Pandora's Box in there." Yule semi-joked. "Though I think the Director made the right call in having Mashu go with Rothus and Da Vinci."

"Yep. So what sort of misadventures did you go on with the kid?" asked Archer with a bit of interest in his eyes.

"Well, where do I start… Oh! When Aka and I first met, I was captured by a Russian Mafia because they accused me of cheating at one of their casinos…"

"I see… Wait, why were you gambling at a Russian Casino?"

Then the two started to talk about their respective incidents involving Rothus with a half-hearted tone. With the other members of the table listening to their stories.

* * *

At the room where his backpack was placed, Rothus was going through his large army issued backpack by pulling out the several items he carried through his three years of journeying after leaving the battlefield and later his father's care. The first item he took out was a short, twin-barreled shotgun and a case filled with twelve buckshot shells. The second item he took out was the small amount of burly clothing he wore while traveling through the mountains. Then third item he took out was a white short sword and then a matching black short sword. He let Mashi laid the pair of blades on a nearby wall while the redhead continued going through the backpack as if searching for a certain item.

"Where was it? I'm sure I placed it in here…" He then took out a canister labeled, NG before taking out some smaller steel cases with pins on them.

Da Vinci took a look at the bottle and opened it to look inside. "So you weren't lying about the bottle of liquid Nitroglycerin, young Master. Though I do question the amount of claymore mines at your disposal. Why would you need them for crossing a mountain?"

"For killing wolves." Rothus answered as he took out another ammunition box.

"That's the first time I heard about having a countermeasure like that against wolves." Mashu said with a sweat drop on her head before imagining how would that work.

"Well there is the danger of wolf pack attacks in this mountainous area. Though I am curious what spurred you to decide packing so much explosive equipment." Da Vinci gave a glance at the miscellaneous parts and the large amount of deactivated explosives in the former soldier's backpack.

"I preferred to be prepared, Miss Da Vinci. During my travels with Father and later Mister Syforce, we have been attacked by many ranging from horned humanoids to odd-looking creatures. And considering how under-armed I was during the first Singularity, I would be more confident in having some of this equipment at my disposal." Rothus said as he took out a detonator and some dynamite.

"Even though you are contracted to three Servants?" asked the woman though she distinctly knew the redhead's next answer.

He looked up glanced at Mashu for a second before answering while looking at Da Vinci in the eye. "Having allies such as Mashu, you, Father, and Saber will be a good asset for the missions. But I must be able to defend myself considering the amount of danger I'll be in with Mister Syforce. A smart soldier must never leave his own quarters without his firearm." Then the redhead took a black silver revolver and checked the chamber to see if it was loaded then placed it into a holster.

"Good point, but try not to pick a fight with anymore Servants for now. I heard from Mashu here that you decided that it was a good idea to fight a Berserker, Lancer, and Saber." Da Vinci stated with a reprimanding tone and narrowed her eyes in disapproval.

"Yes to the Berserker and Lancer, but I was supporting Mashu by absorbing the energy of the attack of that Saber. Though in hindsight, that may had been a poor choice of action…" muttered Rothus as he took out a single-shot grenade launcher with three projectile grenades. "Mashu, can you put these on the table?" asked the teen as he handed the weapon and ammunition to her.

"Sure." Mashu responded as she took the weapon and placed it near the weapons and cases he took out of his bag. "But Miss Da Vinci has a point, sempai. You can't put yourself in danger like that."

"She's right. Because of that stunt, you damaged some of the circuitry in your body from an energy overload."

The redhead took notice at the mention of some damage to his mechanical parts. "Really? Then shouldn't I have received repairs for the damage?"

"I already took care of it when you were unconscious. So don't worry about it and focus on the task at hand." Da Vinci waved off though it was due to the fact that the teen took out another chemical container with the label: CAUTION, HANDLE WITH CARE. He placed it on the table with a little more delicacy before rummaging in his bag once more.

"So what are you looking for, sempai?" asked Mashu as she crouched near the redhead while trying to look at what he had in the bag. Then he took out an ammunition belt that was usually meant for machine guns. The redhead placed it on the table full of weapons and went back to searching for his objective.

"Just looking for… Found it!" Then Rothus took out a four-foot metal case, placed it on the bed, and opened it to reveal several parts with the most noticeable being a blade without a hilt. The blade was a broad sword with silver metal and a thick metal plate attached in the center.

"A sword?" Da Vinci asked with an impressed look at the condition of weapon parts that shined a bit. "Is there something special about it?"

"Yes, this sword is a high frequency blade that Father helped me make during our travels together." Rothus said with a smile as he lifted the blade to inspect its details and for any damage or bent angles.

"Not those two, sempai?" asked Mashu as she turned to the pair of blades resting on the wall.

Rothus turned to the twin blades that laid on the wall. "Oh, those? They're important to me as well. I guess… they're of sentimental value, Mashu."

"I see… Looking at these blades closely, they appeared to be made of some sort of unique metal. But what though?" wondered the girl as she noticed that the white and black blades where the natural colors of the swords, not painted on.

"I'm quite as confounded as you are about those swords. Father claims I made them despite he was the one to conjure them into existence. What was that magecraft technique called again?" wondered the redhead as he paused his inspection to recall what was the specific term the tanned man had said.

Da Vinci took notice at the boy's words with a surprised face. "What?! So these are Weapons were projected?"

The redhead snapped to attention at the keyword. "Yes, that's the term he used, Projection. I don't know much about Magecraft, so I thought maybe Father was just that good at summoning weapons into existence." Rothus shrugged as he continued to inspect the parts of the weapon.

Stunned by his claim, Da Vinci and Mashu gave each other concerned glances. Gradation Air, or commonly known as Projection, was a simple concept magecraft that allowed a Magus to materialize items into the world from nothing through the use of the user's prana and imagination. But this magecraft was considered a dead end by many since the World would recognize the projection as an inconsistency that should not exist. As such the Projected Item would cease into nothing as it once was. Mashu decided to reason with the redhead's improbable claim on Archer's capability of projection magecraft. "Sempai… Projected Weapons don't follow that principle."

Rothus looked up with a questioning glance and furrowed his brows in clueless confusion. "Huh? Why though? Shouldn't a weapon that is born into this world mean that it is meant to exist?"

"Well you do have a good point. But sempai, Projection is-" Mashu was about to respond until Da Vinci pulled her over to the side.

"Excuse us for a moment, Young Master." Da Vinci said with smile as she pulled Mashu out of the room, much to the redhead's further confusion. Then Rothus shrugged, thinking that this topic may had made the two uncomfortable, so he internally decided to apologize later before returning to his inspection.

* * *

"Miss Da Vinci? Why did you drag me out of the room?" asked Mashu with a clueless tone.

"Mashu, listen to me. Rothus claims that according to his father he was responsible for the two swords in that room to exist, right? Did something similar happen while you and the others were in the Singularity?"

"Something similar…?" Mashu repeated the question before mulling over any certain detail that happened during the Singularity. Then an image of Rothus resting a sword he had stolen from a skeleton soldier came to mind. If she remembered correctly, the skeleton soldiers were inconsistencies that were erased by the world, including weapons. "*Gasp* When Sempai stole a sword from an undead, it didn't disappear along with the skeleton soldiers we managed to defeat!"

Da Vinci gave a serious face along with a frown at the girl's claim, backing up a theory that she had in mind. "I see… If what you say is true along with how Rothus seems to believe that those twin swords should exist… It could be possible that power is what Zelretch intended for the young Master to have."

"What sort of power does sempai possess?"

"It's only a theory… But Zelretch is a Magician known to quite unpredictable but also curious. It's possible that he originally designed Rothus to be able to deny the very Laws of the World. Thus deserving his title as the Will of History, it's possible that **what he believes** can take place or form in a limited space. Do you realize what this means?"

"Um… That if I had told sempai that his belief was wrong, then there could be a possible backlash in reality?"

The woman smiled at the girl's proper analogy before elaborating further. "Exactly. We already don't know what Rothus is capable of if he is a creation of Zelretch's. So we must choose our words carefully." Da Vinci said while concerned of how they should approach this scenario.

Then the door opened behind them, and Rothus walked into the hallway. "Miss Da Vinci. Mashu. Are you both all right? You two left so suddenly." The redhead looked a bit worried about the two despite his calm demeanor.

"O-Oh! Well, I was just taken by surprise by your question and I wanted to answer carefully! We don't wish to hurt you feelings." Da Vinci stated.

"Really? You both didn't needed to think it over so heavily." Rothus said with a wave of his hand. "Whether you answered yes or no, it wouldn't have changed a thing. I believe weapons have a purpose, whether they be fakes or genuine. Those swords are no different, they have a purpose."

Da Vinci gaped at his statement and realized that the possible backlash could just be her own overreaction. So she smiled in relief before remembering that the redhead before was no different than a child. A child can believe in one truth for a long time, a self-emplaced limitation of what "true" and "false". "I see… A self-emplaced limitation through a belief… I nearly forgot that you have a will of your own, young master."

"Huh? Well of course I do. Why are you acting so strangely, Miss Da Vinci? I'm sure not all of the equipment I brought here are that dangerous." Rothus said before widening his eyes then narrowing them. Then he said aloud, "Though I do wonder what happened to that bar of Plutonium I carried in a lead-lined container…"

"Eh?! You were carrying such a dangerous item with you, sempai?! If I didn't know any better of you, I would have mistaken you for a terrorist." Mashu said with a bit of nervous sweat coming down her cheek, though she was internally glad that her master could not possibly be able to bend the rules of reality.

"Hm… well I have been mistaken as one by accident multiple times. That's why I usually avoided airports, docks, and security checkpoints." Rothus stated nonchalantly with memories of dealing and haggling with security checkpoints over his baggage.

"That doesn't exactly make me feel comfortable, sempai." Mashu said a worried tone. How was he not arrested was a mystery to her.

"So do you need help putting together your sword?" asked Da Vinci as the group walked back into the room.

Rothus pulled up the toolbox onto the bed and opened it. "Yes, I do require some tools, since the ones at my disposal are quite inadequate." He showed the open box to the two females and they saw how most of the tools he had were either rusted or falling apart.

Then Mashu picked up a small, seemingly intact power tool which fell apart with only the handle bar intact. "That's… a bit of an understatement, sempai."

"Well, it seems we have taken account of everything in your backpack. Though you will have to forgive me that we will need to safely dispose of several of the chemicals you brought."

"At least none of them are radioactive." Mashu said with a breath of relief.

"Hm… while I restock the Young Master's toolbox with new tools, Mashu, can you guide him to the bathroom? It seems he is starting to smell." Da Vinci said due to her enhanced smell as a Servant.

"He is?" wondered Mashu as she gave a sniff and somewhat recoiled from the reeking odor coming from the redhead. "Ugh… He is."

Rothus closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and gave the idea a thought before nodding in affirmation. Then he decided to sniff his left armpit since his right side was completely replaced with machinery. And the smell was a definite sign that he need a bath since he was unconscious for three days. "Miss Da Vinci has a point, I have not gotten a decent bath in a while. Is there a bathing room similar to those public baths I have heard are famous in Japan?" asked the redhead with a curious tone.

The two blinked in surprise at the sudden willingness that the redhead had for bathing. "Yes, we do have one of those to accommodate potential Masters from Japan. Though there is a private bathroom nearby, young Master."

"I see, but I believe that bathing should be with allies. So Mashu, want to join me in taking a bath?" asked Rothus as he looked at his first Servant in the eye.

"E-Eh?!" stuttered Mashu as she flushed at how the redhead suggested bathing with him. "S-Sempai, do you realize what you are suggesting?"

Da Vinci was just as puzzled as Mashu and looked up in space until she remember a certain report she read from one of the Chaldean information gatherers. "Oh right, I forgot that created soldiers of both genders bathe together."

"E-Eh? They really do that?"

"What do you mean? Isn't pretty normal for comrades to bathe together?" asked Rothus with a tilt of his head.

"Sempai, it's improper for a girl and a boy to bathe in the same room!" Mashu raised her voice, though her cheeks were red from the thought of the two of them bathing together.

"Is that how it works? Hm… that's a bit unfortunate, I was looking forward to washing your back, Mashu." The redhead said with a genuine disappointed tone. He didn't understand what the problem was of the two of them bathing together. Though his Father did mentioned not to offer to bathe together with a female unless he wanted a slap to the face.

"W-Well… it's still just improper for a man to stare at a naked woman's body, sempai!" responded the flushed Mashu.

Then Da Vinci placed her hands on the lavender-white haired girl's shoulders with mischievous smile. "Mashu~ Look at the Young Master for a moment, doesn't he look a bit sad?"

"If that is how it works here, I might as well take a bath by myself. I wonder if either Mister Syforce, Doctor Archaman, Mister Tenkuji, or Mister Hojo is willing to join me…" Rothus said with a somewhat downed tone though he accepted it. He appeared to be contemplating who to invite to the bathing session.

"But Miss Da Vinci…"

"Mashu, think of this as a way to get closer to your dear sempai. I read that the reason the artificial soldiers bathe together is that it's the closest form of luxury that they had." Da Vinci said.

"Luxury?" Mashu turned to Rothus before remembering he was lived a life of constant violence and mistreatment due to his status as a weapon. "That's right, sempai was a soldier, so he was not exposed to what we take for granted." Compared to her life being only in Chaldea with the Director Marie's support, she had it easy.

Meanwhile with Rothus, he appeared to be having second thoughts about inviting the human Kamen Riders. "Though washing their backs could be arduous… Mister Yule's back was lucky that I only scraped off a small layer of his skin while scrubbing his back…"

"Exactly. So you may be ruining a special moment that he has shared with people he considered allies. And I heard from Archer that bathing together was how he bonded with him." Da Vinci said.

"I don't think that is possible, Miss DaVinci. Archer does not seemed to be the type for bathing sessions."

"Father would be a good since it has been a while, but would I be inconveniencing him by doing so?" Rothus muttered while going over the logical individuals he can share a bath with.

* * *

Meanwhile: "Atchoo!" sneezed Archer as he was cleaning the kitchen with a mop and a nearby rag.

"Gesundheit." Naomi said with a smile as she was wiping the counters with a rag.

"Thank you." The tanned man wiped his nose with his elbow and wondered if someone was playing a prank on him since Servant's can't get colds. Or can they? He shrugged at the thought and continued cleaning.

* * *

"As you were saying?" teased Da Vinci though she fibbed a bit since she learned about Archer's caring of the young redhead from eavesdropping on Servant of Bow's interactions with Roman about Rothus. "You probably might get another chance, but by that time he might be with another woman. Act right now and I'm sure you won't regret accepting his offer, Mashu."

Mashu gave the older woman's words some thought before letting a breath out and walked to Rothus. "Sempai!"

Rothus broke out of his contemplation and turned to face the glasses wearing girl. "Yes, what is it, Mashu?"

"Well… Is it all right if I guide you to the bathrooms now?"

"Oh, sure. I better get cleaned up as soon as possible, we still have a meeting later." Rothus said.

Mashu nodded absently with a small smile as she guided Rothus to the large bathroom which was not a long distance from the room. Da Vinci smiled as she watched the two walked away into the hallway. Then she activated the wrist device to contact Roman about bringing a hazmat crew to handle some of the chemicals in the room.

As the two walked, Mashu was processing a thought-a-mile trying to come up with a plan to properly accept Rothus's wish to bathe with her. While she would rather stick to her ethics and she didn't want to be seen naked in front of a man even if he was her Master as well. Well, she was willing to call him sempai… and he didn't seem to have the perverted nature of normal men from what she could tell. So it's better if she made small talk to lessen the uneasy atmosphere.

"So sempai, what made you interested in the bathhouses from Japan?"

"Hm… Well, I guess it all started with how I read about them in a book titled: Thermae Romae. While the illustrated novel detailed Roman Bathhouses, it also detailed the several Japanese ones. Father explained it was normal for families in Japan to visit public bathhouses, so I pledged to one day visit such a massive luxury with my Father! Or at least someone I would consider close to me." Stated Rothus with an eager stare in his eyes.

"…Sempai, is it really that much of a big deal?"

"Yes it is! Bathing is the human epitome of self-maintenance and health! For most soldiers similar to me, it's a sacred place from the battlefield!" The redhead raised his voice with a mixture of seriousness and excitement.

"I-I see…" responded Mashu since this might be the first time that she saw an almost child-like excitement in him. Though she never guessed that her master was a bath fanatic. "Have you tried any other bathhouses before you came here, sempai?"

Then Rothus gave a dark glare at the memories resurfacing. "I have tried during my travels, but each time there was an attack before I can reach a bathhouse. And each time it was destroyed by said enemy." The horrific memory of the bathhouse he sought out either being destroyed by a robot or by some incompetent soldier who decided to shoot the place to unusable conditions. Though he properly annihilated the parties responsible, it didn't changed the fact he couldn't enjoy a good bath.

"Oh, sorry if I brought up a bad memory, sempai." Mashu apologized, realizing she may had soured the mood.

"Don't worry, I should be the one being sorry because I'm the one who lost my composure." Rothus waved off her apology with an apology of his own. He shouldn't dwell on the past since there were still more bathhouses he could still visit.

"*Giggles * It's fine, sempai." Mashu smiled in relief that he was back to his usual mood. Then there was a question she wondered about with the 48th potential Master. "So how did you and Yule meet? It's quite strange for a normal person to be willing to travel with a weaponized soldier."

"Well… our first meeting was actually an odd one. To describe it best, I accidentally stumbled upon Mister Syforce when he was doing business with some suited Russians." Rothus said as he visualized the meeting with Yule tied in a chair with some angry, scared men in suits with baseball bats and power tools in their hands. The group were staring dumbfounded at a redhead who crashed through the ceiling and patting dust off himself.

"Wait, what sort of business?" asked Mashu with a questioning tone since Yule did not seemed to be the type to be in cahoots with Russian mobsters if she could tell from the redhead's interpretation.

"He appeared to be in an interrogation." Rothus said as if it was normal.

"You mean tortured…" corrected Mashu since there had been cases of Russian Mafia members torturing people for information.

"No, interrogated." Rothus claimed to which Mashu could only made a sweat drop at his answer. "Apparently, the Russian men claimed that he stole money from one of their casinos."

"Really?" asked Mashu.

"No, that was not the case after an altercation and Mister Syforce persuading me to help investigate further. We found out that Mister Syforce won all of that money legally despite the odds and it turned out that someone stole the same amount of money by hacking into their vaults around that same time." Rothus said before he explained by memory on how the incident played out: the Russian men attacked him-he incapacitated them-he untied Yule-Yule asked him for help-a bunch of violent and investigation scenes later-they caught the thief-and they ran from some more Russian men in a car who were angry at the redhead for beating up their guys.

"That must have been an adventure, sempai." Mashu said.

"Not really, it was a bit on the down-low compared to the incidents Father and I seemed to stumble upon before I came to Chaldea."

"Such as what, sempai?"

"Well… when we were in Ireland, we found a decrepit castle with a woman with purple hair and red eyes living there. Oddly enough, she was wearing a skintight outfit and had a red colored lance."

"Really? She must had been a Magus living there, sempai." Mashu said though she did not recall any notable Magus who lived in a castle in Ireland.

"No, she calls herself a witch who keeps watch over the Shadow Isles or whatever part of Ireland she lives in. Though Father and I left before I could catch her name." Rothus said with a somewhat unhappy tone. Now that he thought about it, his father was insistent on not meeting that woman again because she was an extremely dangerous individual. He couldn't actually blame the man, the witch with violet-magenta hair and cold red eyes gave off an aura that made him feel fear similar to how he first met his father.

"A witch in Ireland?" repeated Mashu who appeared further puzzled. "That's quite a claim, sempai."

"I can't blame you if you have some disbelief. Oh! This must be it!" said Rothus as he ran to the entrance where the sign, Bathroom, was shown on top of the entrance. "After all this time, I can finally take a bath in a genuine bathhouse!"

Mashu could only giggle in amusement at how Rothus was once more excited at the thought of bathing. "Yes, but Chaldea's bathhouse is quite unique Rothus."

"Unique?" repeated Rothus with a clueless tone. "How?"

"You'll see soon. Oh right, before I forget again," Mashu reached into her skirt pocket and took out a white bracelet that was the standard issued communication device of Chaldea. "Here, Chaldea's standard issued Smart watch. It can tell time and allow communication between timelines."

Rothus quickly accepted the device since it will be necessary for the next few conflicts. "Thanks Mashu, this will be a great-"

" **NEW DEVICE DETECTED. FUNCTION AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATED: BEGINNING ASSIMILATION OF DEVICE.** " Announced an electronic voice from the tome as it suddenly open with the pages glowing in a bright light.

"What in the world?!" Rothus said in surprised tone at the sudden activation of the tome before he saw that the wrist device in his left hand also glowed. Then he felt a force tug it before he was forced to let go and let the device enter into the pages of the Record Tome.

" **DEVICE ASSIMILATED. BEGIN EVALUATION AND IDENTIFICATION. CHALDEAN STANDARD ISSUED SMART WATCH MODEL 5 Ver. 2.0. BEGIN INTEGRATION OF ACCESS TO CHALDEA DATABASE, LAPLACE, AND CHALDEAS.** "

"What?! Sempai, deactivate it!" shouted Mashu with an alarmed tone.

"Got it!" Then Rothus tried to close the book, but it wouldn't budge. Then he took out his combat dagger and stabbed it at the open book, but it clashed against a forcefield that formed over the book. "A forcefield?!" Then the redhead put away his knife before pulling out the revolver he had before turning to Mashu. "Mashu, get down!" shouted the redhead as he aimed at the metal-plated book.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the main office of director which contained a large wooden desk, several bookshelves, a computer system, and a globe, Olga Marie sat/floated at the main chair while Takeru stood by her side. Saber stood at the right with Yule and Roman, while Emu and Den-O stooding at the opposite side. In front of them sat Zelretch who had a calm face and his hands folded. The group had entered the room after Yule and Archer's conversation was done and Emu and Roman managed to fix the employee's leg before putting it in a cast. Owner told the group he would be looking for an office he could use with Naomi staying behind to help Archer with cleaning the kitchen.

"So shall we begin?" rhetorically asked Zelretch who simply sat in the chair after finishing his tea as it was a common not to interrupt an Englishman's tea time.

"Yes, let's get down to business, Wizard Marshall. Are you here to observe whether our progress here at Chaldea is profitable?" asked Olga Marie, who was a bit nervous since Zelretch had great influence in the Clock Tower of the Mage Association. Just his very presence would bring several Magi to their knees in reverence.

"Pfft, as if I'm interested in those boring things that the bureaucrats at the Clock Tower are. Besides, they don't exist right now, so you all don't have to worry about the repercussions." The Second Mage responded while waving his hand in an indifferent tone.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here, sir." Olga Marie said with a serious tone.

"Simple, I wanted to check up on the kid. He's quite an interesting project I made." Zelretch answered with an internal gratitude that the kid hadn't gotten himself killed yet.

"We understand that, Zelretch. But what sort of purpose did you design Rothus for?" asked Takeru who couldn't help but let his curiosity leak out. Though he flinched when Olga Marie glared at him, evidently angry that he rudely asked the Second Magician without her consent.

The old man gave it some thought as the group watched in anticipation. "Hm… to tell you the truth I forgot."

"Eh?" shouted everyone present.

"Don't look at me like that. Even this old man forgets some things." Zelretch scoffed since he was somewhat telling the truth. Besides that…

* * *

 **Author's Interruption: Seriously, old man?! So you're telling me you don't remember what Rothus was designed for?! Damn it, it's bad enough I don't remember what Rothus was designed for besides as a main character! Never trust an interdimensional traveler with that memory erase gun…**

* * *

Zelretch smirked at my rant and I could only glare at his name. "But I'm sure the boy's original purpose is unimportant. After all, you people got yourselves a good subordinate."

"You do present a good case about him. But before I forget, Wizard Marshall, what is Rothus? I know he is an artificial super soldier, but his design… its way too contrasting from the other models of the series he claims to be from. Not only that, but his combat ability is around a lesser Servant." Roman said with a truthful tone after he and Da Vinci analyzed the cyborg soldier's blood and his body while fixing him.

"Hm… that may be due to that blueprint I used as a reference."

"Blueprint?"

"A blueprint for something akin to a cybernetic, artificial soldier. In one alternate universe, they are quite prominent and with the help of one of the residents there in exchange for my services, I obtained a blueprint of those soldiers. And from there, my interest became piqued at the idea of an artificial Magus with a durability as those soldiers. So I 'recruited' a Magus specialized in Magus-DNA research for this project and I let her keep all of the data in exchange." Zelretch accounted since that world was a dystopian where Humanity hid in the shadows from mechanical menaces and silicon lifeforms.

"I see…" Olga Marie understood at how beneficial such a deal came since the Second Magician's research did allow some Magus to help him become more successful in their MageCraft. Though she also knew that there had to been some sort of danger since the man himself was unpredictable enough that if he were bored, he would send a random Magus into his dangerous "training" just for his amusement. "But what I don't understand is why he ended up in the hands of some military."

"That was sort of my fault. I misjudged the facility as abandoned, and our recent activities there caught the attention of a certain group of terrorists. Turns out we were using their old place."

"A certain group? What sort of terrorists would have the means to create cyborg soldiers?"

"The only obvious group, Tenkuji. One you and Den-O have fought on countless occasions."

"…! It can't be, you used Shocker equipment to make Rothus-kun?!" shouted Takeru.

"Shocker? As in that group who created monsters that caused trouble throughout the world during the 1980s?" Roman said after he read an account of the group's activities. They were practically well-versed in many different areas of forbidden experimentation that they even dabbled into accessing the realm of death. Magi from all over kept their distance from this dangerous group. "I thought they were annihilated… But it would explain the influx of artificial soldiers 10 years ago."

"After we had to escape and lose the 'original Rothus', I had to watch from the sidelines as those Shocker punks dissected the body and added the cybernetics as their own spin. With some planning and persuading along with a little assistance from some your senior Riders, my 'assistant' and I managed to 'break in' and 'secure' a cyborg clone so we can complete our work on him. That clone would later be delivered to random army and sent on the battlefield before encountering Archer and becoming the kid we now know as Rothus." Zelretch summarized.

"I see… I'll accept your story for now, Wizard Marshall." Olga Marie said before deciding another question. "So what is the purpose of involving the Kamen Riders in Chaldea's objectives?"

"Hm… well, it's more on the lines of another experiment and test. The Kamen Riders of the Showa Era were protectors of Humanity and had played several key parts in keeping the world safe. But the Neo Heisei era Riders have hit a bit of a snag with some facing conflicts that were just a bit too easy." Said Zelretch before he gave a glance at Takeru and then turning to Emu and Den-O. "Besides, having the deterrents of Humanity join your cause may be beneficial."

"We're a deterrent?" asked Emu who was surprised by the man's words.

"Yep, you and your seniors are Heroes born from the Age of Humanity. An era where logic and science is more prominent but more susceptible to supernatural and alien attacks as a result of human folly. The Kamen Riders are the buffer that prevents further damage from taking place. A cause and effect basically. But when you meet your seniors again, I warn you that they aren't the same ones you three have met."

"We already know that. But our sempais are more willing to listen to reason rather than force sometimes." Takeru pointed out.

"Well you aren't wrong there, Tenkuji. But what I mean is that you will meet past Kamen Riders from differing eras and even universes as a result of the weakening boundaries." Which the three present made surprised faces.

"So we're basically dealing with ones from other worlds? Tch, I thought Decade was supposed to keep that schitck under control, damn it!" shouted Den-O as he slammed his fist on the table.

Then something shook the room along with a loud rumble.

Den-O quickly raised his hands in alarm while shouting, "I didn't do anything! I swear!"

"What?! Did we miss all the bombs that Lev placed?" said Roman with a worried tone.

* * *

Meanwhile in the hallway, Archer, with his red coat on, was walking through it to check on Rothus after he talked to Da Vinci on where he was. Though the genius's mischievous smile and the mention of baths made him realize that the kid forgot his lessons on _not_ inviting the opposite gender to bathe with him.

The red clothed Servant snapped out of his thoughts when he heard an explosion and felt a nearby rumble. He frowned in realizing what made that so familiar. "Not again… I should have known leaving that kid alone for more than half an hour was a bad idea."

* * *

Back in the director's room, an alarm was heard before Roman received a call. "Yes, what is it?"

"Sir, it's an emergency! We have been hacked and something or someone called Record has just accessed our database and is now connecting to Chaldeas and Laplace!" shouted a female employee as the people behind her tried to stop it.

"What?! Cut it off!" ordered Roman.

"We're trying! But it's been able to bypass all of our firewalls, and new ones we set up were easily taken down!"

"*Sigh* Of course Aka got into trouble again…" Yule said with an exasperated tone and he facepalmed.

Then the group turned to Zelretch who smiled widely at the turn of events.

"You knew this would happened!" accused Olga Marie.

"I cannot confirm, nor deny it." Zelretch responded while still smiling.

"Forget about him for now, Marie-san. Where is Rothus-kun right now?" asked Takeru as the female semi-ghost quickly got to work on the computer in front of her.

"Search for the site of the explosion, with his luck, Aka would be the one responsible." Yule said with a confident but serious tone.

"I'll get to the control room to help out! Emu, come on!" shouted Roman as he ran out of the room with Emu following after him.

* * *

Mashu coughed a bit before standing up, patting off the dust on her, and she turned to see the massive hole in the wall from the ricocheted bullet. "A bullet did that?!"

"Ugh…" Rothus said as he stood up with his gun still in his hand and the tome still on his right arm undamaged before he noticed the large hole. "That's strange, that should have been the Anti-barrier Sabot bullet." Rothus said before opening the gun cartridge to check the bullets, taking a bullet out he realized that the bullets were wrong types. "Oh wait… these are all Anti-Armor…"

"Forget about that sempai! You need to stop the Tome before it accesses-"

"CONNECTION TO CHALDEAS ESTABLISHED. BEGIN IDENTIFICATION OF NEW SIGNIFICANT SINGULARITIES."

* * *

At Chaldeas, the globe of the red Earth glowed as a new location marker took form with a yellow blink.

"A Singularity already?! But how?!"

"Focus on identifying it!" shouted Olga Marie before she located Rothus and Mashu in a hallway near one of the bathing rooms.

* * *

Suddenly, Rothus felt a pain in his head before he started to see scenes of battle of men in samurai armor with bows and katanas charging at their enemies. "Ugh my head…"

"Sempai!" shouted Mashu as she ran to his side.

Then he started hearing a slow song along, causing him to enter a trance.

"Sempai, are you all right?" asked Mashu as she touched him but he shook her off.

Suddenly the scarred redhead stood up and entered a stance with his right hand folded out. Then he started to sing along with a slow dance, similar to how traditional Japanese dances went. As he sung, these very words were being written by the Record Time on a single blank page.

" _Ningen Gojuunen,_ "

An image of fire in a wooden room took form.

" _Geten no uchi wo kurabureba,_ "

Then an old flintlock rifle with golden parts.

 _yumemaboroshi no gotokunari._

" _Hitotabi sei wo ete,_ "

A bloodstained katana laid on the floor.

" _metsusenu mono no_ "

Then ambitious red eyes opened within the darkness.

" _arubekika?_ "

Then several guns were fired, flashing the appearance of a woman in a military outfit.

After singing the song and taking the last step, Rothus fell sideways, unconscious from the sudden information. With quick movements, Mashu caught the redhead before he crashed hard on the ground.

"Sempai!" shouted Mashu as she held the redhead in her arms. "Come on, talk to me!"

"Ugh…" Then Rothus slowly opened his eyes to the girl's face. "Mashu? Ugh… What just happened?"

"You were saying some sort of poem in Japanese, sempai… Though I don't exactly recognize it." Mashu said.

"URGENT: ANOMALY DETECTED WITHIN SINGULARITY. PREPARING RAYSHIFT." announced the tome as a magic circle formed under the two.

Suddenly, Rothus, and Mashu started glowing within the circle.

"Huh?! What the?!" shouted Mashu in a wide-eyed, alarmed tone.

A recently arrived Archer appeared onto the scene before he saw that the Master and Servant pair were in the middle of the circle.

"Rothus! Mashu!" shouted the man as he jumped and reached out to the two.

Rothus also reached out and called to the Servant of the Bow. "Fa-" Then the two disappeared in a flash of light before the magic circle disintegrated.

Archer widened his eyes in shock before he rolled onto the ground in crouch before turning to the spot where the two were. "Tch, Damn it… The situation just got worse. What the hell did you get yourself into, kid?" wondered Archer with an angered tone that he failed to reach the two.

* * *

 **Author's note: Sorry for the delay everyone, and I am glad to post the next chapter. Now bear with me as I make the next chapter for Mashu and Rothus's next adventure. And don't worry, the other's will join them, abeit in a different location.**


	8. Chapter 3-1: The Fateful Sengoku Pt 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Kamen Rider Franchise nor the Nasuverse series. I do own the OCs I made.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3-1: Other Order 1: The Fateful Sengoku Battle Part 1**

In the Chaldea control room, there was a state of emergency as several Chaldea employees running about and typing on the consoles with Da Vinci and Roman also at work. The sudden appearance of the new Singularity had everyone on edge along with the sudden disappearance of Mashu and Rothus.

* * *

Meanwhile with the Kamen Riders and the Servants, they were analyzing the footage that recorded how the entire incident played out.

" _Ningen Gojuunen,_

 _Geten no uchi wo kurabureba,_

 _yumemaboroshi no gotokunari._

 _Hitotabi sei wo ete,_

 _metsusenu mono no_

 _arubekika?_ "

After stating the message, Rothus fell backwards, unconscious from the sudden information. With quick movements, Mashu caught the redhead. The entire scene was recorded on the camera which the higher members of Chaldea along with the recruited Kamen Riders were watching.

"Rothus was saying some sort of song in Japanese. Do any of you know what it means?" Olga Marie asked the Kamen Riders and Servant who heard the poem as:

"A man's life of 50 years under the Heavens is nothing compared to

the age of this world. Life is but a fleeting dream, an illusion -

Is there anything that comes to life and exists forever?"

Takeru stepped forward with a knowing look. "I do. It's an Atsumori. Specifically, the Atsumori that was sung and danced in popular culture by Oda Nobunaga."

"He's right. I've seen the guy do that boring old dance." Den-O recalled. Though why did his memory feel a bit fuzzy on Nobunaga's actual appearance?

"Oda Nobunaga, as in the man who tried to conquer Japan during the Sengoku Period?" concluded Emu who also knew the name of the Famous warlord. The warlord's well-known reputation earned him an eternal spot in several games.

"The one and the same… But why did Rothus repeated that particular Atsumori?" wondered Takeru as he cupped his chin. "Could it be a clue to where those two went?"

"We will have to see when Laplace manages to locate where and when they are heading to." Olga Marie said.

"It's only been three days since we were summoned and now our new Master is suddenly transported to this Singularity." Saber muttered at the sudden turn of events. She berated herself for not keeping the redhead out of danger, her own uneasiness be damned! Though it may be fortunate that Mashu was with Rothus, so he won't be totally defenseless. Then she turned to Archer who looked tense, possibly worrying over the redhead who caught himself in danger. "Archer, is this common for Master to be drawn into danger so easily?"

"Definitely, if trouble is about to stir up, then the kid will be drawn to it like a magnet unwillingly." Archer said with an anxious tone. Damn it, if there was something he did not missed when it came to Rothus, it would be the boy's fated magnetism to danger. A year later and that magnetism didn't seem to diminish.

Yule noticed that Archer had a harsh stare in space, obviously worried about the redhead. Yule decided to speak to the man to assuage his fears. "Don't stress about Aka, Archer. If you know him as much as I know about him, he's not one to be taken down by a bunch of samurai."

Archer breathed in and let out his breath with a sigh. "You're right, if there's one thing that kid can do when he is in trouble, is that he can cause more of it." The demons from Hell would agree with that statement.

Then a ding was heard and location as well as a year was identified.

"So what time period did they went to, Romani?" asked Olga Marie as she and the others moved to learn of the news of they missing allies.

"Let's see… It's Japan. The year 1582, the Sengoku Period." Roman reported at the finalizing date.

"Seems like your conclusion is right, Takeru." Olga Marie said with a calm tone. Then she raised her voice. "All right, listen up! The situation has suddenly taken a turn for the worse due to the Wizard Marshall's machinations! But we will not let ourselves be daunted! When the Rayshift is ready, I need all-able Servants and Kamen Riders prepare for battle! We are not losing Mashu and Rothus! Is that clear?"

"Understood!" shouted everyone.

"Well, might as well get ready then. I wonder if Owner managed to get my motorcycle fixed." Den-O said as he walked out of the control room.

"Roman, Da Vinci, have you established contact with them yet?" asked Olga Marie as the group capable of fighting also left the room.

"Not yet." The Renaissance Servant replied as she continued to type on the console she was on.

"But they are exiting the final stages of the Rayshift, so contact will be possible soon." An employee reported from her console as she analyzed the current process of the shift.

"Good. But I can only hope those two won't be in the middle of trouble."

* * *

(Shikisai- Sakamoto Maaya)

 _Instrumental_

Several pages fly through the air and gather into a book before being closed by a hand covered in armor.

"The Will of History, Record. What will fate bring him to as the curtain of the Grand Order rises?"

A close up view showed the featureless masked face of the hand's owner, Record. He turns around as the scenery is covered by a various amount of symbols along with seven cards which each depicts a different type of hero. Then the titles forms on the screen:

 **Kamen Rider Record: The Will and Grand Order**

/ **Hitori ni naru to kikoeru no** / - / **When I'm alone, I can hear the words** /

Rothus is seen in a tube with several wires attached to his body with his eyes closed. Then he opens his eyes to find himself sitting in a battlefield filled with the corpses of several soldiers in mechanical armor, and he also wore similar armor. Noticeably some of the corpses have arrows pinning them to walls or in the ground. He stands up and soon the scene changes and twists before he stands in front of Archer in a city with gray clouds.

/ **kurushii nara yamete ii to** / - / **"If it's painful, feel free to stop"** /

The man smiles and turns away from the teen, causing Rothus to chase after him. Next, Rothus, in different clothing, which is a short-sleeved white shirt with baggy black pants, steps into a hall of Chaldea and he sees Yule give him a wave with his right hand. The redhead runs past the silver haired young man towards a different destination.

/ **Burakku hooru mitai ni fukaku** / - / **Deep, almost like a black hole** /

Then Yule turns around and follows the redhead until he passes a woman with long braided blond hair and a flag, catching his attention. The 48th Master potential turns around and the young woman faces him with a smile. Noticeably, the two are standing on a castle wall riddled with arrows.

/ **kowakute miryokuteki na amai koe ga** / - / **from a sweet voice, frightening and tempting.** /

Standing in a grass meadow where rain fell is Emu who holds a yellow cartridge belonging to a late friend. The medical intern transitions into the pink-armored Kamen Rider Ex-Aid who turns to the arrival of Rothus who continues running and passes him.

/ **Anata no kuchiguse wo manete** / - / **I'll try mimicking the words you so often speak** /

Ex-Aid turns around to follow the cyborg redhead, but then a blade covered in flames flew right at the pink Kamen Rider, forcing him to lean back as its edge moved above him. Ex-Aid rolls back and jumps onto a high brick block before taking out his Gashacon Breaker. Standing on the meadow is a young woman in a red dress who swings her flaming sword before readying herself to fight the Kamen Rider. Noticeably, she shares the same face as Saber, but she had a haughtier expression.

/ **nan demo nai to itte miru** / - / **and say that it's nothing.** /

Rothus continues running and enters on the deck of a ship where it rocks a bit, putting him in a stumble but not stopping his pace. On the deck is Takeru who is staring at a sphere which is a dull grey before he transitions into Ghost. Then Olga Marie floats in near the Kamen Rider to point at the running redhead. The two try to greet him only that he ignores them and sprints past them. The two try to follow him only that they nearly run into a light pink-haired woman in a purple and red kimono.

/ **Sore ga uso demo kamawanai** / - / **It doesn't matter if that's a lie** /

The two turn around to look at the woman who smiles in response to their attention on her. Then another Kamen Rider Ghost shows up from behind the woman except he has red armor with a metal eye on the chest, jacket, and a flame-like mask. Alongside them was a man in Japanese samurai clothing with a long katana resting on his shoulder. Unnoticed, the sphere that Takeru was looking at earlier has its back change color into a scarlet red.

Rothus is now seen running through a green meadow at night, then he stops before Mashu who smiles towards him.

/ **tachitsudzukeru douki ni nareba** / - / **if it gives me a motive to continue to stand…** /

The pair turn to the side with as light shines upon the meadow. Then Saber joins them and draws her sword, Excalibur, at the ready. Then Yule shows up with the blond girl with braided long hair who is still holding the flag. She plants the flag into the ground and draws her sword, standing next to the Servants ready for battle. They charge down the slope as several people stand in their way.

 _Instrumental_

With each beat, people in a variety of outfits and armors from different eras of the past stand before the three. Then Kamen Riders Ex-Aid, Ghost, and Den-O join in with their weapons raised.

/ **Watashi ga miteru mirai wa hitotsu dake** / - / **There is only one future that I see.** /

As Rothus and Yule watch the fight unfold, several pages flew through the air. A page flies towards the fight between Saber and a blond haired man in golden armor who fights her with a bit of ease and agility. Then Archer appears and supports her before he deflects an arrow from a man with dark skin and wears a white suit.

/ **eien nado sukoshi mo hoshiku wa nai** / - / **Eternity isn't something I want in the least.** /

Another page flies towards the blond young woman who clashes her sword with another young woman who shares her face but has a crueler demeanor. In another location with another page, Ex-Aid is seen fending off the girl who attacked him earlier with his hammer now in sword mode before he equips his red armor that grants him a robot arm and fires the fist at the red version of Saber. Meanwhile, Ghost is clashing with a knight in black armor who nearly overwhelms him until the woman in the kimono and the red Ghost protects and helps him.

/ **Ichibyou isshun ga itooshii** / - / **Every second, every moment is dear to me** /

The pages fly back and now with illustrations of the Servants and Kamen Riders before, they gather into the Tome that materializes onto Rothus's right arm. Then the redhead is covered in pages before they transform into a white and black metal armor. He jumps forward to aid Mashu as his featureless dome helmet constructs over his head.

/ **anata ga iru sekai ni watashi mo ikiteru** / - / **I, too, am living in the world where you are.** /

The armored soldier lands next to the Demi-Servant who blocks another attack. The Tome opens to materialize a golden and jeweled hilt that Rothus draws and swings out, creating a golden flash that engulfs the screen.

 _Instrumental_

Then flashes of different scenes are shown starting with several shadowed people who appear on screen with a shared characteristic of blue and green eyes. One Silhouette had six arms with the left arms wielding an axe, thin-bladed sword, and a claymore-like sword.

Den-O is seen with a young man with messy black hair and they face a white-haired woman in a white kimono with a blue jacket and black scarf who points her katana at them. Standing next to the woman is a black-haired woman of similar age who wears a black military uniform and a red cape.

Takeru is seen with Olga Marie in front of a stained glass window with the two Japanese swordsmen and the red Kamen Rider Ghost.

Saber and Archer walk past each other, not sparing a glance at each other.

The group of Kamen Riders, Rothus, and Mashu run on a stone bridge as a large golem smashes apart the bridge behind them before forcing them to jump off.

Rothus is seen sleeping in a meadow as four shadows tower over him. He wakes up and the shadows turn out to just be Mashu, Yule, Emu, and Takeru. They smile and help the redhead onto his feet. Then the group walks off and onwards, towards a sunny horizon.

* * *

"ALL VITAL SIGNS CONFIRMED. RAYSHIFT SUCCESSFUL"

 **Date: 1582 A.D.**

 **Location: Kyoto, Japan**

 **Human Foundation Value: B+**

 **Period: Sengoku**

On the grass fields laid Rothus and Mashu, both unconscious from the sudden transportation. "Ugh…" The weaponized redhead slowly sat up and felt his face with the ringing in his ear still going. "What happened? I was with Mashu when the book started to…" Then there was that glow of light under him while Archer reached out to him and he reached out to his Father. "That's right, there was that light that took Mashu and me to… Wherever this is." Then he stood up before walking to his first Servant and checked on her. "Mashu."

"Ugh…" Mashu squinted her eyes and saw Rothus's face. "Sempai, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me Mashu." Rothus with a small smile.

The girl sat up and noticed that they were not in Chaldea. "Where are we, sempai?"

"Well, I only see a grass area… that is about it." Rothus stated out loud.

"Well, we must have rayshifted into another Singularity." Mashu said while looking up.

"What makes you say that?" asked the redhead.

"That." Mashu pointed and Rothus looked up at the sky and saw a clear blue sky with a spar number of clouds. "So this is the blue sky… It looks... beautiful."

"Indeed it is." Rothus agreed with a nod at the unique sight of the blue sky. "I guess I did keep that promise back when we were in that-"

"MATTE BATTOUSAI! STAND YOUR GROUND AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!" shouted a female voice which caught the attention of the Master and Servant Pair. Then they turned to look at the dirt road as a second voice was heard.

"GOMEN SOUJI-SAN! But you're going to have to find someone else to fight!" shouted a male as two running individuals began to appear over the hill.

"Eh? Are you seeing what I'm seeing, sempai?" asked Mashu who was dumbfounded by the sight that was coming towards them.

"A woman with white hair wearing a pink dress, wielding a sword, and chasing a young man with messy black hair wearing our modern day clothing and running towards us?" stated Rothus as he described the odd scene he witnessed with Mashu. The said subjects were getting closer with each passing minute.

"Yes."

"Then yes, I see what you see, Mashu." Rothus said.

"What should we do?" asked Mashu since the male was still her Master.

"Hm… Well, it's best we settle their dispute and-"

"GuFF!" coughed the woman as she spat out blood from her mouth before she fell forward into the ground while dropping her sword and sheath. A small puddle of blood formed under her.

"Ah! Souji-san!" shouted the male as he ran to the young woman's side to help her.

"Or that." Rothus finished upon witnessing the armed female suddenly fall to the ground. "She must be a suffering from some sort of disease to suddenly collapse from blood vomit."

"Well, then we must be in at least some sort of Singularity of the past, sempai." Mashu said with a sweat drop forming on her head. If there was one thing about being in the past, diseases were the number one killer of man before weapons due to the underdeveloped knowledge of medicine.

"Definitely. Since they have stopped, we might as well ask them where we are, Mashu." The redhead in the sleeveless shirt said as he walked forward with Mashu following close behind.

"Yes."

The male held the woman in his arms and he offered a handkerchief to her.

"Here."

"Thanks, Ryo-kun." The woman with a paled expression accepted the handkerchief and wiped her mouth of the blood. "Ugh… man, why does my disease have to act up now?"

"Well you should have stayed in bed like the doctor ordered, Souji-san."

"Hmph, please. Why would I listen to a guy who checks dead bodies be my doctor?" responded the young woman with a roll of her eyes.

"Because he knows what kills people is why he is the doctor."

"*Sigh* Fine." Souji said with a sigh before she noticed two people approaching them. Then she made an alarmed look with wide eyes when she noticed the girl.

"Souji-san?" asked the male with messy black hair before he fell over when the young woman quickly stood up, picked up her sword, and pointed its blade at the arriving couple.

"Halt, Servant and her Master!" shouted Souji with her eyes narrowed at the two.

Rothus and Mashu blinked when the woman in the pink dress with sakura petal patterns threatened them. "Eh?"

Then she swung her katana, snapping the two out of their dazes and prompting Mashu to put herself between the female and her Master. Now that they were closer, she realized that the woman was a Heroic Spirit. "Don't play dumb! I know when a Servant is coming! So prepare to face the strength of Sakura Sab-GuGH?!" spat the woman when she suddenly coughed up blood during her speech.

The sudden bloody puke scared Mashu as she stepped back from the blood splatter while Rothus just blinked owlishly. This was an odd sight, he never met a sickly person armed with a weapon before. Then again… he and his father were dropped in the middle of a city fill with infected corpses by Zelretch. That was a bloodbath that might had been the only time when he actually first felt the feeling of disgust. Magic skeleton soldiers he could handle, but bacteria manipulated corpses? That would make him shiver.

The woman's knees buckled and she fell backwards which the young man was forced to catch her. "Ah, Souji-san!" He successfully caught her and held her in a princess carry. "Don't overdo it!"

"Ryo-kun… It seems my time is up…" muttered the female as she seemed paler than before.

"Don't die yet! We still haven't have that duel you wanted!" urged the messy black haired male with a distressed tone.

The woman's eyes widened with life at what he said. "Really? You will accept my duel?"

"Yes! I will, Souji-san. I will do so if I can make you happy." Ryotarou said with a desperate tone.

"Ryo-kun…" muttered Souji who blushed and pursed her lips in embarrassment.

"Souji-san…" muttered the male who also blushed and looked nervous.

Rothus blinked once more in confusion at the odd scene. "Do you know what's going on here, Mashu? Because I am lost."

Mashu, on the other hand, blushed and stared in eagerness at the intimacy that the male and female shared. This was way too similar to the dramas that Da Vinci would make her watch with her.

Then a ringing was heard from somewhere, ruining the moment. The pair and Mashu turned to Rothus who looked confused before he realized that the ringing came from his tome. He quickly opened it and a page flew out, forming screen to show the faces of Roman, Marie, Takeru, Emu, and Yule.

"Rothus, Mashu, respond! Can you two hear us?" said Roman with a panicked, worried tone.

"Doctor Archaman?" asked Rothus who was surprised at the sudden communication link. "Wait, this book can use a live video feed?"

"That is correct. Think of it as one of the few features that you missed when you skipped the tutorial, Rothus." Zelretch said from behind the redhead.

Mashu yelped, jumped a bit in surprise, and turned around to face the Wizard Marshall who suddenly appeared. Souji and the young man with messy hair also were surprised at his sudden arrival which they didn't even noticed.

"Mr. Zelretch, what are you doing here?" asked Rothus with an unsurprised tone at the Second Magician's appearance as he also turned around to face the older man.

"Just making sure you have this little fella come with you." Zelretch gestured to a certain white-furred creature that climbed onto his shoulder and then jumped onto Mashu's face.

"Fou!" said Fou as it climbed onto Mashu's shoulder before rubbing her cheek.

"*Giggle* After all that commotion, we entirely forgot about you Fou. Sorry about that." Mashu said with a smile.

Zelretch smirked at the interaction before noticing the two standing near them. "Oh, and it seems you two already met the Singularity Point."

"Huh? You mean that man behind me is the Singularity Point that Mister Den-O was talking about?" asked Rothus as he pointed at Ryotarou.

"Eh? You know Momotaros?" asked Ryotarou at the mention of his missing friend/brother.

"Momotaros?" repeated Rothus with a clueless tone.

"Well, I better get going." Zelretch said as he walked away.

"Wait, Wizard Marshall! What is the whole point of sending Mashu and Rothus here?!" shouted Olga Marie through the transmission.

"You'll find out soon from this couple here." Zelretch said as a portal opened and walked through it before everyone heard a shout and the group on the screen were pushed away by Kamen Rider Den-O.

"Ryotarou! You're alive!" Then the Kamen Rider slammed his head on the console after feeling the weight of worry off his shoulders. "Thank goodness!"

"Momotaros! Wait, where are you?" asked Ryotarou with a happy tone to see his friend and surrogate brother again.

The red armored Rider lifted his head quickly and pushed his face onto the screen. "At a base called Chaldea! What time are you in, Ryotarou?"

"In Japan during the Sengoku Era!" answered Ryotarou.

"Hang tight! I'll be there to get you out!" promised Den-O.

"But it will take a couple more hours before we can get the Rayshift ready." Roman pointed out before he was grabbed by the train Kamen Rider.

"Well tell those guys to get it ready already! I'm not letting my brother get killed over in hostile territory!" shouted Den-O as he shook the man.

"Ah! Mattekudasai(Please Wait), Momotaros! Unhand the poor man!" shouted Ryotarou as he worried over the poor man since his brother did had a habit of overdoing his actions. The train Kamen Rider reluctantly did so and let the man sit in his seat.

"Ha! You do not need to worry, strangely-armored friend of Ryo-kun! I've been keeping him safe since the day I met him!" boasted Souji with a confident smile as she sheathed her sword.

"You chased after me with a sword when we first met, Souji-san." Ryotarou deadpanned with a sweat drop. That was how the two met and it had become a routine for them to run about the countryside before he was forced to carry her back after her chronic bloody cough-to-collapse kicked in.

Then the female in the pink kimono stumbled from his remark before she recovered and rebuffed, "But I saved you from those monsters didn't I?"

"I'm just saying…" Ryotarou half-heartedly teased with his hands up.

Staring at the interaction, the train Kamen Rider can't help but be impressed that his brother finally was able to flirt with someone without bumbling. "So you finally found yourself a girl, Ryotarou? Did that perverted Turtle have anything to do with it?" asked Momotarous just in case since his flirty brother had always been that kind of person which caused Ryotarou problems before he had to possess the human male to scare off the female admirers.

"You mean Uratarous? No. He tried wooing her when we first met, but Souji-san did not fall for it and just challenged me." Ryotarou recalled, turned out Souji's fighting spirit managed to power through the charms he was forced to employ under possession.

"So there is a girl besides Hanakuso Onna who is immune to his 'reeling' charm… I approve!" Den-O said with a thumbs up.

"Ano… Souji-san, was it? Are you a Servant of a Grail War?" asked Mashu in Japanese. Her question also surprised the group back at Chaldea observing.

"Yes, I am. Though there are some odd circumstances with the Grail War here." The woman in the kimono said with crossed arms. "I'm known as **Sakura Saber** , by the way. No need to give away my secret identity just yet. But you can call me **Souji** like the Batto-I mean Ryo-kun here."

"I agree, Miss Souji." Rothus said. "This way, that if either of us were captured then we couldn't reveal the identity of you."

"Sounds like we have ourselves a soldier." Souji said with an analyzing eye. The young man's posture showed a cautious and battle-ready side as if by instinct. "Your name is Rothus, correct?"

"Yes, Miss Souji." Rothus gave a nod.

"I see…" Souji placed her hand on her hip and gave the young man's words some thoughts before stating her answer. "You can address me as Captain, Rothus-dono. No Miss, makes me feel old." The woman said with an authoritative tone.

"Yes Captain!" Rothus said with a firm tone as he saluted.

"No salutes either." Souji said with a shake of her head. "While I do respect the gesture, I'm have not been in a position of power in a while. And who is your Servant? She feels odd for a Servant."

"My name is Mashu Kyrielight. And I am a Demi-Servant, a combination of a Human and Heroic Spirit."

"Really? Man, magic sure has taken a strange path." Souji said with crossed arms before turning to the small creature. "And that creature?"

"You mean Fou here? It's a resident of Chaldea who I have been taking care of for my entire life."

While the conversation took place, Roman was typing on several buttons to analyze the woman the two encountered. Then a confirmation was heard before the doctor shouted out.

"Confirmed! She is a Saber!" shouted Roman before he realized he said it out loud. "Um… whoops."

"Wait, were you doubting me?" asked Souji with a narrowed eye look.

Olga Marie quickly shoved the head doctor away from the screen with an annoyed glared in her eyes. "Ignore the idiot doctor. My apologies, but we can't help but be suspicious because it is quite strange that a Servant of this Holy Grail War is surprisingly friendly despite you meeting Mashu and Rothus."

"Well, they didn't seemed the type to be suddenly fighting without a reason unless to defend themselves. Besides, we could use all the help we can get." Souji said with a shrug since the two had more than a good opportunity to attack her and Ryotarou.

Olga Marie was actually surprised by the Servant's words and asked, "Why is that?"

"You two were lucky to run into us only. There's been a lot of chaotic fighting in Japan between factions of Servants over this Grail, if only they knew the truth…" Souji said with a grave tone.

"What do you mean, Captain?" asked Rothus.

"Turns out the Holy Grail that Souji-san spoke of earlier had been turned into a bomb." Ryotarou said with a frown.

"A WHAT?!" shouted Olga Marie along with everyone else in the vicinity except Rothus, Ryotarou, and Souji.

"Wait, is that even possible?" asked Emu with a concerned tone. He only had a glance at whatever the Grail was and it had been the entire base of the mountain. Though his knowledge on magic was limited, a bomb that size could spell disaster not just Japan, but worldwide.

"In theory, yes. The Holy Grail is a container for the energy of Mana from defeated Servants. With some adjustments, it has the potential to become a bomb that could have the explosive power of, by estimate, 1 million nuclear bombs." Da Vinci deduced with some sweat perspiring down her cheek.

"So basically, a f*ck the world solution. I nearly forgot Japanese were a crazy bunch." Yule commented before realizing that there were Japanese in the room. "Sorry! I did not mean that all of them are crazy! Just some."

"*Sigh* No, we understand your concerns, Yule-san. So basically we need to disable the Holy Grail this time." Takeru concluded.

"Exactly. Right now, we're working with the one who even turned the Grail into a bomb to begin with." Ryotarou said with a nod. "But don't worry! She wants to stop it as much as us!"

"Any progress in finding the Grail? Ryotarou, was it?" asked Olga Marie with crossed arms. She was prepared for the bad news, but the Holy Grail turned into a bomb? Honestly, she wondered how her late father would react to such a situation.

"Since the others and I came? Not much." Ryotarou said with a negative tone and a shake of his head. They had been involved in numerous scrimmages with the local armies while trying to find the Grail. "Just a couple of fights here and there. But we learned that someone wants to activate the Grail bomb. And by the descriptions, we concluded that the culprit is a Kamen Rider."

"A Kamen Rider?" repeated Emu with a bit of horror. He had his fair share of fighting Riders who were his enemies, but never had to worry about ones who wanted to destroy the world- Oh wait, the other riders did say to wait a while before a nemesis Kamen Rider came around to try to either take over the world or destroy it. "*Sigh* Why can't things ever be simple?" Then somehow he heard an internal, mysterious voice respond within.

" _But then the game wouldn't be fun, Emu._ "

"Huh?" Emu wondered aloud before looking around behind him for who just said that.

Meanwhile, the conversation with the group continued on. "So not only does the Grail bomb need to be disabled, but you all also need to stop this Kamen Rider. *Sigh* Emu is right, why couldn't the situation be simple?"

"Get used to it, boss. This sort of dangerous situation is the norm when Rothus somehow finds it by accident." Yule stated with a defeated tone.

"But this could be a blessing in disguise, the Chaldean systems couldn't identify this Singularity until his tome connected to them." Takeru said. "Besides, after preparations are done. We can help him and Mashu."

"True. But until then, we need another Master." Olga Marie stated to the surprise of the group who turned to her with incredulous stares. "Don't look at me like that!"

"The semi-former Director does have a point, we may need another Master on standby in order for the Rayshift to activate. It may not work if we just sent Servants alone without a confirmation of a Master." Da Vinci stated.

"Can't we establish a stronger connection through a leyline over here so that Saber and Archer can join us?" asked Mashu as Fou sat on her shoulder.

"Hm… That could work." Da Vinci said as she pulled up another screen on her console. "By connecting to points where Mana produced by the world is greatest, this could stabilize a transfer of Servants alone."

"Can you and Romani make this transfer as soon as possible?" asked Olga Marie.

"Compared to Rayshifting the Servants with the Kamen Riders, yes we can in a few hours."

"Then make that transfer a number one priority. We can't leave those two without some back up." Olga Marie ordered before realizing that there was a Servant willing to lend a hand on that side. "Oh, no offense, Sakura Saber."

"None taken. I don't understand any of that magic stuff, but having more men on our side could be a benefit."

"All right, leave it to me." The Renaissance Servant said with an eager tone before she started typing.

"Wait! So we have to wait until we can reach Ryotarou and Soldier Boy?! F*CK that! I'm going now!" shouted Den-O.

"Wait! Sempai!" shouted Takeru but the Kamen Rider quickly deactivated his transformation and reveal his true form to be a red Oni-like humanoid.

"EEEEEH?!" shouted Roman jumped at the sight of the revealed Momotaros. "You're an Oni?!"

"Who are you calling an Oni? I'm the badass Momotaros! All right, it's been a while since I've done this! But prepare to get possessed again Ryotarou!" shouted Momotaros as he turned transparent and into an orb of light that flew through the screen and into the Singularity. Then it entered Ryotarou whose body flashed red and grew a bit muscular. The young man stood up and his hair had a red highlight and his irises turned red. "ORE… SANJOU!"

"Whoa! So you're one of those oni like Urataros, right?" asked Souji.

"Yep! I'm the badass of us brothers! Momotaros at your service!" proclaimed M-Ryotarou with crossed arms. "And I'm not an Oni!"

"I see. But now we need you to get out of Ryo-kun." Souji said with a closed-eye smile before raising her sheathed sword above her head.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I can get out of him by myself, thank you very-" shouted M-Ryotarou as he backed away from the armed female.

*Conk*

Then a leg from behind swung up and smashed in between the possessed young man's legs. Every male present cringed at the action of hitting the male jewels.

"Gahdabwa?!" shouted M-Ryotarou before the red oni popped out of Ryotarou's body and landed a short distance face first while holding his crotch. "Gah! Sonuva…" groaned the Oni-like Imagin who felt the pain of getting kicked in the balls.

"Sempai! Why did you just kick him there?!" shouted Mashu with an indignant tone.

"The possessed Mister Nogami was not complying, so I kicked him for immediate effect. Turns out a kick to the genitals was the key." Rothus replied as he put his leg down.

"Not exactly the most dignitary method though." Souji said with a sweat drop. "Ryo-kun, are you all right?" asked the Saber as she crouched to check on the messy black haired young man who groaned a bit.

"Yeah… I just need… *Groan* a couple of minutes…" groaned the male on the ground who was also on the receiving end of the kick.

Mashu gave Rothus a disapproving look which the redhead quickly looked away. "Um… it seems that I may have overdone it…"

"You think, Aka?" Yule deadpanned while facepalming. "I forgot that as long as the enemy has a pair, you will kick them no matter what."

Then a door opening was heard and Archer appeared on the screen. "I heard from Da Vinci that communication with Rothus was established." Archer looked at the screen in the control room and saw the scene before him. "Why is there a Japanese man and a red oni on the ground?"

"Long story short, Rothus kicked the guy who turned out to be Kamen Rider Den-O in the family jewels. And the red oni is his brother slash partner." Yule summarized.

"Seriously?" Archer turned to admonish the boy for his action. "Rothus! What have I told you about kicking people in the crotch?"

"That it's unnecessary and rude?" responded Rothus who was somewhat having a hard time remember what his father said.

"*Sigh* Yes, and you can only kick when it is an enemy you are kicking!"

"…I'm sorry for acting irresponsibly."

"Say that to the poor guy you kicked. I just hope you didn't kill his genitals with that kick."

"Ugh…" Momotaros quickly got up as the pain subsided. "Don't worry… Ryotarou has been through worse things than a kick to the balls… Besides that, who taught Soldier Boy how to do that? Last time I checked, military guys are against the idea of breaking one of the key rules in the Man's Code of Honor."

"Man's Code of Honor?" asked Souji.

"Never aim below the belt." Ryotarou automatically replied after sitting up.

"That is something to agree on." Emu said with a nod. He had his fair share of troublesome kids who would actually kick or punch him in the testicles over him being a bit goofy.

"I believe I read an article about the history behind that…" Takeru mused.

"Putting all random thoughts and incidents aside, can we focus on why you decided to possess him? And what are you?" asked Olga Marie who did not like how the conversation was derailed.

"Oh, right? Forgot to introduce myself. I am the badass and first Imagin brother of Ryotarou, Momotaros! Long story short, I'm one of the monsters that had the mission of destroying the past, but when I bonded with Ryotarou here, I became Kamen Rider Den-O! After few more things and my brothers joined our cause. Ask Owner for all of the details! And the reason I wanted to possess Ryotarou here is because no matter how separated we are, as long as I know where he is, I can join him on that side!"

"Speaking of Den-O, Momotaros, did you remember to bring the belt and the Denliner Pass?"

"Of course I did! It's right here!" The red Imagin said as he pulled out a black container with a T symbol in the middle. "Too bad I don't have a copy. It would have been nice going Bash Bros with you."

"Can't you do that with Urataros or the others?"

"You kidding? I can't work with any of those guys! And you know it!"

"Sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing? If anyone is going to apologize, it's got to be Soldier Boy here!" shouted Momotaros as he pointed a finger at Rothus. "He kicked us in the balls!"

"I am sorry, I misjudged my course of appropriate action." Rothus said with a bow and a guilty tone could be heard in his words.

"Hmph, good to know you can at least say sorry, kid. I'll let you have this once, but I swear if you kick me in the balls again…" Momotaros said as he approached the redhead and summoned a sword into his hand.

Ryotarou quickly stepped in between the two and stopped the red Imagin. "Momotaros! He said sorry, so that's enough!"

Momotaros said nothing then scoffed, "Hmph. You better remember that, army brat…"

"I will, Mister Momotaros."

"Ugh… Somehow, your calm attitude is either disturbing or just pissing me off." Momotaros muttered as he walked away to cool his head for a bit.

"Sorry about him, Momotaros reacts badly when he gets hit."

Rothus seemed confused at the apology. "Why are you apologizing? I am in the wrong for hitting you two in the testicles. So there's no need to apologize."

"Yes, but reacting to the wrong method with anger won't do anyone any good. It just makes it worse."

"I see." Rothus nodded.

"*Ahem* It seems that the time traveling Kamen Rider deserves his title… Very well, but next time warn us before you possess you brother, Momotaros."

"Hai, hai…" The red Imagin waved his hand dismissively.

"Now that's out of the way, Rothus, Mashu, we'll be offline for a moment. But contact us when you two managed to find a leyline." Olga Marie said.

"Understood, sir." Rothus responded with a nod.

"Anything you want to say before we cut off the connection, Archer?" asked Yule.

"Hm… Oh, Rothus, remember that you must find a place to wash up. You haven't gotten that bath of yours."

"Oh, you're right, Father! Is there any bathhouses near where you two are staying?"

"Of course! We'll be happy to guide you there, Rothus-dono." Souji said with a smile.

"Is that all, Father?"

"Yes, we'll talk more when we meet, so don't go starting trouble! And also remember not to eat anything off the ground. And also not to accept any food from strangers!" Archer warned which earned some chuckles from the group. They thought that Archer was acting like an overprotective parent or a mother.

"I won't. Talk to you later, Father." Then the page went white blank, due to the signal cutting off. At that point, the page returned to the opened tome which closed.

"At least we know what to do now, sempai." Mashu said. Fou's ears suddenly perked and it looked around.

The redhead nodded before he widened his eyes and looked around. "Wait. Does anyone hear that?" asked Rothus with an alarmed tone due to not finding the source.

"Hear what?" asked Ryotarou with a confused look.

"Shush… Ryo-kun. I hear it too." Souji said as she drew her sword out of her sheath.

"Wait, does anyone smell oranges?" asked Momotaros while sniffing a bit.

Mashu concentrated and she also heard something faintly.

"Fou! Fou!' yipped the creature as it looked high in the sky.

"Hm? What's the matter Fou?" asked Mashu before she looked up and saw a dot that was slowly growing bigger.

Suddenly there was a faint sound of someone screaming before everyone looked up and saw an orange armored samurai in a navy blue skintight suit falling from the sky. His screaming appeared to grow as he continued to fall, flailing his limbs.

"Everyone! Get clear!" shouted Momotaros as the group of five scattered while the falling armored individual finally crashed into the ground, leaving a small crater from where he landed. When the dust settled, the group approached where the individual landed which his body was buried into the ground.

"Okay, I know I have bad luck, but even this is new to me." Ryotarou said with a stunned stare at the body.

"You got that right, Ryotarou." Momotaros agreed though he did had a similar experience of falling off a building once. He still held a grudge against that blue treasure hunter.

"I'm surprised his body is even intact when he fell at that speed." Rothus pointed out since he had seen some bodies that fall from the stratosphere had a tendency to explode to pieces upon impact with the ground.

"Well he appears to be wearing some form of armor… Must have kept him in one piece." Souji said.

"Ugh…" groaned the person who became a victim of gravity.

"Wait, he's alive?!" Mashu said with a surprised tone and widened eyes.

"Quick! Get him out of the hole!" shouted Ryotarou as he jumped into the crater to help the armored male. But he struggled a bit from trying to move the body before Rothus and Momotaros helped roll the armored male face up. The armor and mask was show to the group, much to their surprise when he was revealed to be a-

"A samurai?" said Mashu with widened eyes.

At the same time, Ryotarou noticed the undamaged belt on the man's waist. "A Kamen Rider?"

"Hold on… That's Gaim! What's he doing, falling out of the sky like that?" shouted Momotaros since he had met the fruit-themed Rider during his adventures at keeping the timeline secured.

Meanwhile, Rothus was analyzing the vitals of the armored Kamen Rider while using his right hand to sense the smallest vibrations. "His vitals appear stable… Maybe he was performing an orbital drop and his gear dropped him?" wondered the redhead at the odd circumstances.

"We're not space marines, kid." Momotaros deadpanned.

Rothus gave a nod before withholding any mor idle thoughts.

Souji decided to be the voice of command and said, "We can ponder about why he fell later. Let's focus on helping him."

* * *

The other four nodded and Rothus grabbed the man and placed him on his shoulder, similar to how a soldier carried injured allies on the battlefield. Then he carried him out of the crater while Souji and Ryotarou decided it was best that they led the two, now three and an unconscious samurai, to their base of operations. As the group walked, Mashu decided to inquire where they were.

"So what is the closest city here?" asked the girl as they walked.

"Well, we're near Kyoto. At this point in time, it's the capital of Japan. Right, Souji-san?" Ryotarou said before turning to the Saber.

"Yep! We're actually staying there right now with our friends and allies!" Souji said while turning back to respond.

"I see. It's good to know that your group has fortunate circumstances." Mashu said.

"Yep! When we get there, we'll introduce you three to all of them!" Souji promised with a smile.

"Fou!" Fou yipped indignantly.

"Sorry, I mean the four of you."

As the group continued to walk, Rothus realized that there was a certain detail he had been wondering when he and Mashu first sighted Souji.

"Mashu, Mister Momotaros, doesn't the Captain share the same facial features as Saber?" whispered the redhead as his right eye analyzed how the Japanese Saber's face shared at least an 80 percent match.

"Now that you mention it, kid… Huh, they do look alike."

Mashu took a good look at Souji's face and realized that her Master was right, the Saber Servant does have a similar face as Saber's. "Maybe it's that one belief that somewhere on this earth there will always be three people with the same face."

"Really? Interesting theory… maybe we'll meet more people like her in the future." Rothus said as he carried the unconscious Kamen Rider on his shoulder before realizing one certain detail. "Wait. Do you think the others back in Chaldea noticed?"

* * *

"So is anyone going to point out how Sakura Saber looks so much like our Saber?" asked Yule as he sat on a fallen stone slab in front of Chaldeas.

"I was wondering that as well, but I didn't want to derail the conversation." Takeru said with scratch of his head as he also sat on the slab.

"It's possible that she could be a descendant." Emu mused with a shrug.

"All right, you three! It's time to begin the ceremony of choosing a Master! Yule, you are up first." Olga Marie ordered as she turned to the white haired potential Master.

"Got it, boss." Yule said as he sat up and stretched his arms. "With Rothus not here, there's a possibility I might summon someone normal."

"Don't jinx it, Yule-san." Takeru warned.

* * *

"Hm… Probably." Rothus said as the group continued walking.

"Probably what?" asked Souji who had her face close to the pair.

The two flinched with Mashu trying to come up with an excuse. "U-Um, well…"

"The probable chance that you share the same facial features as a Servant I summoned a few days ago." Rothus responded before receiving a hit to his head.

"Oi! Don't go blathering about our musings, Soldier boy! Didn't your pops teach you to keep you trap shut?!" shouted Momotaros as he smacked him in the head.

"Not really." Rothus said with a shake of his head. "Though he did teach me to say half-truths."

"Really? I won't believe it until I have seen for myself." Souji said with crossed arms and a doubtful tone.

"Hm… well that's going to be a problem…" Rothus said while cupping his chin.

"Hm… I got it! Sempai, maybe you have a record of Saber in your tome! It's possible you have a record of her when you summoned her!"

"You do have a point, Mashu." Then he placed the unconscious Kamen Rider on the ground before he opened his tome and started flipping through the pages. Then the teen stopped on a page that showed an illustration of his father.

* * *

Servant: ?

Class: Archer

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Agility: C

Mana: B

Luck: E

NP: ?

Noble Phantasm: ?

* * *

"If Father's page is here…" Realizing where the page was, the redhead turned it to the page that had an illustration of Saber. "Found her!"

* * *

Servant: ?

Class: Saber

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility: B

Mana: A

Luck: A+++

NP: A+++

Noble Phantasm: ?

* * *

"You found Saber's entry?" Mashu asked as she also saw the page had details of the Servant of the sword.

"Let me see." Souji said as she also took a look and saw that the female's feature look similar to her own. "Whoa! You weren't kidding about her looking like me! This is one fine painting, Rothus!"

"It's not really a painting, Captain. But the comparison between you two is quite a genetic miracle."

"Genetic huh? Well, if you ever summon me, I'm looking forward to talking with this Saber." Souji said with an eager smile. She sometimes wondered what it would be like to meet an ancestor. "Talking to an ancestor of mines is something to look forward to!"

Rothus gave a puzzled face before turning to Mashu. "Is it even possible for the two to be related, Mashu?"

"Hm… well it is possible for Souji-san to be distantly related to Saber. Britain had relations with Japan back in 1600 A.D. Though those relations were nonexistent around 1641."

"And what period would Saber be from where knights in armor were prominent?" asked Rothus.

"The 5th and 6th centuries, also known as the Dark Ages when disease and violence was rampant throughout the British isles and Europe."

"As well as lack of cleanliness?" asked Rothus which Mashu nodded. "Truly a dark period if soap and bathing was not very prominent…" The redhead nodded with a solemn attitude.

"We're talking about ancestors and you suddenly go off track about baths? You have some screwed priorities there, kid." Momotaros said before walking to his brother. "But the shield-onna does have a point about ancestors looking alike! Why, Ryotarou here is a descendent of the badass Battousai!"

"Battousai?"

"A man quite known in my time alive, Rothus-dono. A samurai feared for-"

Then the sound of clopping was heard before the group turned to the sight of a large dust cloud charging right at them. The dust cloud revealed to be several soldiers in samurai armor on horses chasing after one person who wore black clothing with a matching military cap with a golden flower crest. The individual also wore a red cap with golden greaves. But the odd sight was that the person was riding a yellow motorcycle that was a dirt bike model.

"Are those samurai chasing someone on a… motorcycle?" asked Mashu said with a surprised look.

The saber of the group also looked and widened her eyes in recognition of the person being chased. "Aw great… she picked up more trouble for us to deal with…" muttered Souji with a sigh.

"Who's that?" asked Rothus with a tilt of his head.

"Well, how do I put this… The one being chased is the person responsible turning the Holy Grail into a bomb." Ryotarou pointed out with a nervous, crooked smile.

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You fools claim to take my head, yet you can't even reach me and my steed!" shouted the female on the motorcycle as she laughed maniacally with her arms crossed.

"Oi! Hands on the handlebars!" shouted a male voice which came from the motorcycle. Upon closer inspection, the bike had blue eyes where the headlights should have been.

"SHUT UP, STEED!" shouted the young woman on the motorcycle as she hit it in the head with her right hand. "A horse should listen to his master and just run faster than his chasers!"

"Oi, oi… Who said I was even a horse to begin with?" wondered the yellow motorcycle only to receive another hit to his head. "Oi! Quit hitting!"

"Then move faster, Lazer, my new horse!" shouted the female as the group of Japanese soldiers were closing in.

"We've got her!" shouted one before someone shot a bullet that hit a soldier through his armor before he was engulfed in an explosion with his horse and the samurai near him. shockwave produced from the explosion caught the woman and motorcycle, sending them flying through the air.

* * *

"Oi! Brat! Are you an idiot?!" shouted Momotaros when the redhead suddenly pulled out a gun and shot a samurai who exploded along with his friends.

Rothus blinked and checked his gun when remembering he still had his explosive anti-armor ammunition still loaded. "Apparently I am. I forgot to change out the ammunition."

*Bonk*

"Moron! You can't go killing people in the past willy-nilly! That can cause time paradoxes!" shouted the red Imagin as he had to explain to the kid what he could had possibly done.

"Time paradoxes?" asked Rothus who looked up.

"He means you could erase the ancestor of someone important to history, thus resulting in an alternate timeline forming, sempai. Chaldea's goal is to make sure the timeline is table, not damage it further." Mashu pointed out since Rothus could had significantly damaged the timeline with his action.

"Exactly! So we focus on nonlethal methods in dealing with warriors of the past! Or avoid them altogether!"

"But didn't you start a bar brawl with some Irish soldiers, Momotaros?" pointed out Ryotarou who still had faint fragments of the memory.

"Oi! That was just a little brawl! And that guy with the red lance had it coming!"

"You aren't really doing yourself any favors, Momotaros-dono." Souji said with closed eyes and a sweat drop on her head.

"Gah! Off! Dah!" shouted the female before she finally landed face-first in the ground.

"Aaaaaagghhhhh! Oof!" shouted the motorcycle before he also crashed on the ground near her. "Ugh… That was one hell of a way of a rescue…" commented the downed motorcycle with his eyes in a dizzying spirals.

"Pah!" said the girl in the military uniform before patting her hair of the dirt. "All right. Who dares think we needed rescuing? We had the situation handled!"

"By 'handled' as in us running for our lives again?" pointed out the motorcycle still on the ground.

"We were leading them into an ambush!"

"By ambush, as in the explosive traps you didn't set?" teased the motorcycle again with a half-hearted tone.

"Not a trap, but you two did seem to require assistance." Rothus said.

"Who dares approach me?" asked the woman as she stood up and crossed her arms as intimidatingly as possible.

"Weaponized Soldier number 0041, designation: Rothus." Rothus said as he saluted.

"You're one cocky little son of a gun if you thought I, the might Demon Archer, needed rescuing." The woman said as she got in Rothus's face.

"I only did what was necessary." Rothus said despite the close proximity.

"Necessary?! Now listen here! I had things handled until you decided to blow up the guys chasing me!" demanded the red eyed female with a finger point.

"Um… sorry?" apologized Rothus with a puzzled tone.

The woman scowled and punched Rothus in the face, catching everyone by surprise. "Don't apologize! You kicked ass, so I expect some backbone, stubbornness, and backtalk! Not some clean-ass soldier with a stick up his ass!"

"Stick up my ass?" repeated Rothus with a clueless tone while rubbing the cheek where he got hit.

"Wait," The black haired woman narrowed her eyes and glared intimidatingly at the redhead. "you don't know what the means?"

"No, not really." Rothus said with a shake of his head before he was caught off-guard when the shorter female started laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You really are an interesting one! I expect the typical flusters that come with ruffling feathers of soldiers like you! But I'm mistaken. You're just an effective, fight-happy idiot!" The young woman said with a smile and a finger point. "Though weaponized soldier? That's a new one. You from the future?"

"Yes."

"Then that explains it!" The woman said with a smiling as she patted Rothus on the shoulder with wider swings. "I expect you to be a fine retainer under me as an apology!"

"Hold it! Why should you pull sempai into being your retainer?" asked Mashu after she placed herself between Rothus and the woman in the black military uniform.

"Oh? That clothing…" The woman gave a calculating gaze at Mashu who sweated a bit in preparation for a fight. "Are you a Westerner?"

"Eh?" responded Mashu as she leaned back from the female's face close to hers.

"With that response, you must be! I hoped to meet another Westerner soon and one from the future! What a great opportunity!" smiled the female in eagerness.

"*Ahem*" Souji said with a calm but silently raging tone.

"What?" asked the female as she turned to the Saber who shook a bit in controlled rage.

"You haven't introduced yourself yet!" shouted the white-haired Saber.

"Hm… True! *Laughs* With all of that commotion, it cannot be helped!" laughed the woman before she turned to the group. "Very well, I am the Demon King from the Sixth Heaven, known far and wide as the **Demon Archer**! I am **Oda Nobunaga**!" The identified Nobunaga waved her arm and the cape flowed high by the sudden wind.

"Oda Nobunaga? As in the famous warlord him-I mean herself?" Mashu said with a surprised tone.

"The one and only!" laughed Nobunaga with a smile.

"Hold on a minute! The last time I checked, Nobunaga was an old man with a rebellious streak!" shouted Momotaros since he clearly remembered working with the man himself during some time corrections.

"Well… That's where you're wrong, Momotaros. The Nobunaga-san standing here may actually be someone from a different world's past."

"Now that you mention it… DECADE, IT'S YOUR FAULT AGAIN!" shouted Momotaros with a loud voice that surprised everyone present.

"Whoa! Quite the set of lungs you've got, Momotaros!" complimented Nobunaga.

"Of course, I am the badass- Wait, you know me?"

"Of course I do! You and your brothers helped me quite a bit when I was still alive!" Nobunaga said with a smile. "Ryo-kun here was especially helpful! If he wasn't so smitten with the hitman here, I would have eloped with him already!" The honest and joking proclamation caused Souji and Ryotarou to flush red.

"That's right, Mashu, how about you introduce yourself to Miss Nobunaga?"

"Oi! Call me Lord instead of Miss! I want to at least be recognized as cool and intimidating!"

"…Lord Nobunaga acts quite masculine." Rothus said while using the correct title for the woman.

"Eh? You changed it surprisingly fast… Show some backbone and backtalk me!" shouted Nobunaga.

"Why should I, Lord Nobunaga?" asked Rothus with a clueless tone. "And shouldn't we be-" Then he received another hit in the head.

"What the hell! Are you so brainwashed into being the perfect soldier that you don't know how to backtalk?!"

"Not really. I just see no point to make conflict with you when you must be quite strong to be that boisterous." Rothus said. "In truth, I would have served under you without any qualms." Then the redhead received another punch to the face.

"Moron! That's just the pansy way of doing things! You need to have some backbone and backtalk me! Every man is born with selfishness, so conflicts are unavoidable! But conflicts between people can create bonds that are nigh unbreakable! And I won't see you like a man unless you are willing to have a conflict with me!"

"Um, sorry?" said Rothus with a nervous tone before he got another punch.

"Don't apologize! Honestly, dogs make better arguments than you, Aka-shounen." Nobunaga said. "I mean I have samurai and soldiers under me who were very loyal and wouldn't question me. But they do argue at times! But you, Rothus, you give off a more… brown-nosing-wolf-cub vibe."

"Brown-nosing mercenary wolf cub? Do I seem like the sort, Mashu?"

"H-Huh?!" Mashu responded with a surprised shock at the redhead asking her for closure. "Well… Um… Master does seem to accept working under anyone. I mean you praised the Director at times. And you said that you have no qualms working under Nobunaga-san."

"I see…" Rothus said with his arms crossed. "But I do have one complaint about that description."

"Oh? So you do know some backtalk… out with it."

"I prefer to be a bear rather than a wolf." Rothus stated causing the group to either stumble or face-fault at his words.

Nobunaga quickly got up and laughed. "I see! HAHAHAHA! You prefer to be a bear? Man, I guess you do have some selfishness in the head of yours!"

"GATCHON!" announced an energetic electronic voice.

"Oi. Don't forget about me." As a super deformed Kamen Rider similar to Ex-Aid except his helmet mask was yellow with blue eyes and handlebars on his head stood up from his position. His helmet had pink spikes.

"Oh? You're still alive, my horse."

"Oi, I'm human, first of all." The Kamen Rider said while motioning his tire weapon at the female. "Nice to meet you two, the name's Kamen Rider Lazer."

"Lazer? Oh, my name is Mashu Kyrielite, and Servant of the Shielder Class. The young man standing next to me is my Master, Rothus. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lazer-san."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. And just call me Lazer."

"That belt… are you acquaintances with Hojo-san?" asked Mashu while still speaking in Japanese.

"Hojo? Wait, you guys already met Emu? How is he?" asked Lazer.

"Mister Hojo is fine, Lazer." Rothus said. "He's currently residing back at our headquarters in Chaldea."

"Really? Good to know he's doing fine when all of this is going down. We were going to greet you all until those guys ambushed Nobu-chan and I."

"That must have been rough." Mashu said.

"Well it-"

"We had it handled! You and I could have taken them, Lazer!" interrupted Nobunaga with a prideful and arrogant tone.

"Or we could have gotten captured…" Lazer deadpanned with closed eyes and a half-hearted tone.

"Hmph, I still say we could have handled those guys."

"Fine, fine. No use arguing with you, Lord-chan." Lazer conceded with a laidback tone and raised arms in defeat.

"Heh. As long as you see my point."

"All right, since we've got introductions out of the way. Let's get back before it gets dark." Ryotarou said to everyone.

"Good idea, Mister Nogami." Rothus said as he went to the unconscious Gaim's side and picked him up.

"Wait, we've got a Kamen Rider here? Where did he come from?" asked Lazer as he walked at Rothus and Mashu's side while looking at the unconscious Kamen Rider.

"From the sky." Everyone except Nobunaga responded as they walked.

"Eh? From the heavens? Then he must be some heavenly messenger!" joked Nobunaga as the group walked on the path. Then there was the sound of something zipping could be heard above the group. "Eh? Nani?"

"Was that the sound of a zipper?" wondered Mashu.

"Fou!" yipped Fou as it looked up.

Following its gaze, the group looked up and saw several circles in the sky outlined by large zippers.

"What the-?"

"Crap! Those are Cracks!" shouted Momotaros as he held his head in fear. How was this possible?! He remembered that Gaim should had taken care of these things already!

"Cracks?" repeated Mashu.

"Ask Gaim when he wakes up later! For now, it's time to fight! Ryotarou, you still up for transforming into Den-O?" asked Momotaros as he turned to his friend and offered the belt with the pass.

The male in question nodded with a smile. "Hai. You take control first as usual, Momotaros."

"Heh, and you give me the ideas on how to kick more ass!" shouted the Imagin as he crossed his arms.

"Seems like I also need to change gears!" Then Lazer placed his right tire weapon into his left hand before taking out a black Gashat and pressing the button on it.

"GIRI GIRI CHAMBARA!" announced the gashat as a second screen formed behind Lazer and summoned a masked mini robot.

Ryotarou wrapped the belt around his waist and he pressed the red button on the buckle of the belt that made a tune that was similar to a train alert. The buckle's middle changed into a red color in response. "Henshin!" announced the messy haired male as he passed the container over the red symbol of the buckle.

"SWORD FORM." Announced the belt. Then particles flew out and converged on his body, making him wear a black bodysuit with a helmet that looked incomplete. This was Den-O's Plate Form. Momotaros turned translucent and flew into the Kamen Rider, causing a train track to form around Plat Form Den-O along with six armor pieces colored in red, yellow, blue, and purple. The armor that went on the track before combining into one piece of chestplate and then a peach slid on the mask railing before splitting open into two halves that acted as lenses.

"3rd Gear!" Then he placed the Gashat into the second slot of his belt before opening the cover.

"GACHAN! LEVEL UP! BAKUSOU DOKUSOU GEKISOU BOUSOU BAKUSOU BIKE! A GACHA! GIRI-GIRI-GIRI-GIRI CHAMBARA!" The mini robot split apart while Lazer floated into the air and his body transformed into his motorcycle state before transforming into a torso and the robot limbs became his limbs and the mask attached over his face mask. The Rider landed on his armor legs and shook his limbs a bit.

The several zipper circles unzipped open to reveal several monsters that fell out of them. The monsters landed were in shells with odd masks, claws, and exposed torsos with red colors. The numerous amount of monsters stumbled forward to the group as they growled like feral beasts.

"ORE… SANJOU!" announced Kamen Rider Den-O Sword Form as he entered his signature stance and his arms stretched out.

Rothus quickly dropped the unconscious Kamen Rider on the ground to ready his revolver after reloading it with normal, hollow point bullets. "Mister Momotaros, do you know the name of these particular creatures?" asked the redhead.

"Sempai! Don't drop him so roughly!" shouted Mashu though her words were ignored.

"Inves. They all come from a forest. But let me tell you this once, don't ask me about all the details. That's Gaim's job." Den-O shrugged before he started to build his weapon using four parts attached to his hip and they formed his signature red sword.

"Now we're revving it up!" said Lazer Level 3 as he summoned his weapon.

"GASHACON SPARROW!" Then a yellow bow with dark pink blades materialized on a hardlight track and the Kamen Rider grabbed it.

"Men! Prepare your positions!" ordered Nobunaga causing everyone to look at her questionably.

"Um… Positions, sir?" asked Rothus with a confused look.

"You know what I mean! CHARGE!" shouted Nobunaga as she summoned a pair of rifles into her hands and charged forward. She fired the old rifles which hit and knocked down two Inves that got in her way. Then she summoned two more into her hands and started shooting rapidly.

" _Ah great… she's charging off again…_ " moaned Ryotarou aloud.

"Oi, matte! I'm the star of this battle!" shouted Den-O as he sprinted after the Archer.

"*Sigh* Might as well help them. Mashu-dono, Rothus-dono, keep the unconscious samurai safe!" Souji shouted before charging in with her katana raised.

"Mashu, are you able to prepare for battle?" asked Rothus as they watched the Kamen Rider and two Servants charged into battle.

"Yes, I do. Give me a moment." Mashu said as light engulfed her before she was now in her armor along with her glasses dematerializing. Then she summoned her large shield, letting its longer end hit the ground and wielding it in her right hand.

"That's convenient." Rothus complimented with a surprised tone, but looked forward after hearing growls that were closer as a couple of Inves ran to attack him and the Demi-Servant.

Running quickly to help them, the yellow Kamen Rider, Lazer, shouted, "I'll give you two kids a hand!" Then he split the bow in half and wielded the bladed halves as a pair of sickles.

"ZU PĀN!" announced the bow-now-sickles.

He quickly swiped the blades at a couple of inves, cutting them with ease. "Huh, I thought they'd be made of tougher stuff!" Then he quickly sliced and diced more of the monsters.

Then another group charged at them from the left flank and Mashu quickly blocked them. "Master, you armor up as well!"

"Got it." Then Rothus put his gun into its holster and placed his hand on the tome, causing circuits to light up from his left hand to the cover. "Henshin!"

" **Activation Code: Accepted.** " announced the Tome as thousands of pages flew out of its bindings and swirled around the redhead's body as he stood still. The pages stuck to his form and then the paper white turned into a metallic black, Rothus could feel his body become encased in a metallic undersuit with his arms receiving outer white steel gauntlets, his legs receiving outer white steel greaves, and his chest encased in fitting chestplating. "REAWAKEN THE HEROES!"

Rothus moved his armored hands to adjust to the feeling of the materialized armor. "Hm… This self-materializing armor is quite convenient."

"Indeed it is, kid!" Lazer said as he ducked under a swipe and slashed with an energy trail flowing from his blades, hitting another group of Inves that got too close to him. "Whoa!" shouted the Kamen Rider as he quickly ducked under the shield swing of Mashu as she sent several inves flying a few feet and some crashing into their compatriots. "Thanks, Shield-oujo-chan!"

Mashu nodded and quickly blocked the blow of another monster before Lazer quickly slashed it off her and went after another group.

A mask plate constructed and covered over the redhead's lower face and a large featureless dome covered his entire skull as he held his gun in his left while wielding his combat knife in his right. Then Rothus quickly ducked under a swipe of a red Inves before shooting it where there appeared to be a face. Then he grabbed another and stabbed his knife into where he believed its throat was.

Den-O chopped and slashed the Inves around him. "Heh, is that all you've got Inves?" shouted the train Kamen Rider as he swung his blade quickly, wounding the monster heavily. Then one grabbed him from behind, but the red Kamen Rider easily shook off the Inves. "Get off me!" Then he turned around to cut the monster but suddenly stopped before falling over. Behind the monster was Souji who had cut the monster down. She then swung her to intercept the claw of an inves who tried to take advantage of her exposed flank.

"Oi! I had that guy!" shouted Den-O before he dodged the attack of another Inves before kicking it in the crouch area and then striking it in the face. "Don't get in my way!"

"Tch. These things aren't strong in particular, but they have superior numbers." Souji said as she cut down a couple of the monsters. They weren't exactly powerful enough to overpower a heroic spirit such as her, but their numerous numbers were a problem.

"Less thinking, Souji! And more killing!" shouted Nobunaga as she shot another monster before drawing her saber and cutting one that tried to attack her flank. Then she raised her sword which summoned thousands of rifles in corporeal form. The warlord smiled widely as her red eyes glowed brightly. " **PREPARE TO DIE, FOOLS**!"

"Not good. Everyone, take cover!" shouted Souji as she and Den-O quickly ran to find some cover.

"O-Oi! Ryotaro! Why are you taking control?!"

" _She's going to activate her Noble Phantasm!_ " shouted Ryotarou with a panicked tone.

"Mashu! Do you have a pre-progammed skill to aid the one with less-capable cover?" asked Rothus as he ducked under another swipe before grabbing the arm and throwing the Inves over his shoulder. The last thing the group needed was friendly casualties.

"I do!" Mashu shouted as she allowed energy to gather her being before smashing her shield down to activate the spell.

" **Obscurant Wall of Chalk!** " announced Mashu as a hardlight wall shaped around Den-O's form to protect him.

But Rothus realized that the spell only protected one target and tried to think of what to do to while the tome on his right summoned a page to witness the Noble Phantasm.

"I'm protected? Oh no, Souji-san!"

"Ryo-kun?!" Souji said as Den-O covered the smaller female with his form.

" **Sandan… Otshi**!( **3-Line Volley** )" Then she commanded the rifles to fire recklessly in all directions by pointing her sword at her enemies. The shots either strayed from their targets or hit a large amount of the Inves in the area. The bullets bounced off of Den-O's protected form, sparing Souji in the process.

"Yeesh! Already pulling out the big guns this early?!" shouted Lazer as he hid behind Mashu's shield with Rothus.

Mashu held her ground as the bullets kept flying and ricocheting off her shield. "Ugh… This is a ridiculous amount of firepower!"

"That Noble Phantasm must be an area target type if it required that many guns." said Rothus as the shooting still continued.

Then the gunfire ceased and the group saw the amount of damage and dead monsters all over the area. In the center was Nobunaga who sheathed her sword with a satisfied smile at her work.

"Hmhm… Seem like more victims have fallen to my unbeatable rifle formation."

"Oi… next time warn us when you do that." Den-O said as he walked towards the red cape wearing woman.

"And that was way too reckless, Nobunaga! You could have gotten us killed!" shouted Souji as she glared at the warlord. The protection that Mashu summoned to protect proved to be helpful.

"But you didn't. So it cannot be helped!" laughed Nobunaga.

"*Sigh* That's not the problem here!" shouted Souji in frustration at the actions of her friend. Then a roar was heard, causing the group to turn and see a red Inves that started to glow with a green aura.

"What's it doing?" asked Mashu.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Rothus said as he quickly reloaded his gun and fire upon the monster that started to transform as its shell molted and a new red Inves stood before them. The bullets collided with its body, but the monster withstood the shots easily wincing a bit. Then it roared with rage at the group.

"Tch. This is going to be a tough fight! Get ready!" shouted Momotaros as he readied to fight the monster. This signaled everyone to prepare as the lion Inves charged at the group.

"Mashu! Block its charge!" ordered Rothus with split second thinking.

"Hai!" responded Mashu as she charged forward and tackled the monster with her shield. This knocked the monster into a short daze though it was somewhat pushed back.

"Captain! Mister Momotaros! You two ambush its flanks and keep it busy!" shouted Rothus as he reloaded his gun and had his right arm unload revolver casing holders to be held between his fingers. "Mister Lazer, Lord Nobunaga. I require both of your ranged weapons!"

"Got it!" said Souji as she sprinted quickly along with Den-O following her close behind. The samurai swung her sword which the monster blocked with its claw, but she quickly swiped up and slashed its eye, causing it to yelp in pain and stagger back. Then Den-O jumped over and hit the monster with a heavy slash that knocked it back further.

Den-O landed and shook his hand. "Damn! This Inves is hard!" Then the Inves roared and charged at the train Rider who quickly blocked its claw, but he received a hit from its left claw, causing him to stagger back. "Kuh! Why you-!"

"Mister Den-O, get back!" shouted Rothus as he, Nobunaga, and Lazer had their ranged weapons aimed at the Kaijin.

"Ute! (Fire!)" shouted Nobunaga and the three let loose a large amount of gunfire and energy arrows after Den-O quickly jumped out of the way.

"Gah! Oof!" shouted Den-O as he tumbled from danger. "Damn gunners taking my kill…"

"Mr. Lazer! Prepare the Critical Attack!" order Rothus as he continued to fire and reload his gun.

"You got it, kid!" shouted Lazer over the gunfire as he took out his Giri-Giri Gashat out of its slot and inserted it into the slot of his bow.

"KIMEWAZA! GIRI GIRI CRITICAL FINISH!" announced the bow as it glowed with energy.

Then Lazer fired several energy arrows rapidly into the lion Inves before summoning a circle of arrows and kicking them into the red monster. This time the damage was fatal before the monster staggered back with a groan before its body exploded from the energy overloard.

"KAISHIN NO IPPATSU!" announced the bow.

"Phew… that was easy." Lazer commented as he shouldered his bow.

"Yep! Man, nothing like a good fight to get the body moving!" laughed Nobunaga as she dismissed her guns and crossed her arms while puffing her chest.

"Oi… What are you thinking charging in like that? You could have gotten yourself killed!" shouted Souji with a disapproving tone.

"It cannot be helped, because I am the one who will lead the charge and take out the enemy with my unbeatable rifle formation!"

"I think I should be leading the charge because I have a sword!" Den-O shouted with anger.

"Swords are useless! This is the age of the gun!" Nobunaga said while summoning her gun to prove her point.

"What was that?! Swords can hit more things that your fancy flintlocks!"

"You wanna bet?" asked Nobunaga with narrowed eyes and she bumped heads with the angry Den-O.

"Save it you two! We need to get going because the sun is already at noon!" shouted Souji as she pushed the two apart. "And Rothus-dono over there is starting to reek."

"I am?" repeated the former soldier now retainer as he tried to sniff himself but realized that his body was still armored. Then he deactivated his transformation and now wore his current outfit before sniffing his left armpit.

Lazer gave the redhead a sniff before cringing and stepping a few steps back. "Phew! She's right! When was the last time you had a bath?!"

Rothus gave the man a questioning look as his helmet should had filtered the supposed smell. "I haven't had a bath in a week."

"Really? Then we can't argue over things here! Let's head back to my base and get you spruced up, Aka!" said Nobunaga as she quickly turned around and lead the way to their base.

"Oi! I haven't finished talking to you!" shouted Den-O as he de-transformed back into Ryotarou and Momotaros. With the red Imagin charging after the warlord.

"Wait, Momotaros! *Sigh*"

"He's definitely as reckless and hotheaded as you say he is, Ryo-kun." Souji said with a sweatdrop on her head.

"Yep. But he's still my family." Ryotarou said before he and the Saber followed after the two along with Rothus, Mashu, and Lazer. Rothus still carried the unconscious Gaim as they walked.

"Shouldn't you de-equip your armor, Mister Lazer?" asked Rothus.

"Nah, I should keep it on in case of surprise attacks while we're going ahead."

* * *

The group finally reached a city with high city walls and several wooden buildings lined up behind the gate. The group of seven, and unconscious number eight, arrived at the gate of the city. Noticeably, there was a couple building that were wrecked and some damaged from fire.

"Welcome to Kyoto! It's a pretty banged up place after the last few wars. But it's still the proud capital of Japan!" announced Nobunaga to those who arrived to the Singularity. "Now let's get you all washed up!"

"Sure." Rothus said with an eager tone until he noticed that everyone in the vicinity appeared to be staring in their general direction. "Why are the residents staring?"

"That girl… What sort of country did she come from?"

"Showing so much skin… could she be an oni?" whispered another.

"Wait… could they be talking about Mashu-chan here?" Lazer wondered as he turned to the armored female.

"Ah right… I forgot that during my time alive, it was consider indecent for a woman to show so much skin. Unless she's a slut." Nobunaga said with a blunt tone. Mashu felt a bit self-aware at her exposed appearance while some grief at the last part.

"Nobunaga!" shouted Souji with a disapproving tone though before she could get another lecture in a voice called out to them.

"Oi…!" shouted a voice and the group noticed a young man with messy black hair wearing a sports jacket and jeans running towards them as he waved to the group. "Welcome back, everyone!"

"Oh, it's Yusuke-Kun!" Nobunaga said with a smile. "Your lord has returned, Yusuke!"

"Nobunaga-san! Did you manage to find new allie-Eh?!" shouted the male as he noticed the unconscious Kamen Rider being carried by Rothus. "Isn't that Gaim? What happen-"

" **He fell from the sky**." The group responded instantly.

"Huh… Is he going to be all right?" asked Yusuke with a worried tone.

"That depends on when he is going to wake up, Yusuke-dono. This samurai has been unconscious for quite a while. Even when we got into a skirmish with a bunch of monsters that came from some sort of portals in the air, he wouldn't wake up." Souji said with sigh.

"That must been quite the fall…" Yusuke said. "Wait monsters?!"

"Don't worry, we took care of them, sempai. Souji-san and I will go ahead ask if they can spare a room for Gaim." Ryotarou said before turning to the white-haired Saber who nodded.

"We'll see you all back at our base." Souji said before she and Ryotarou walked away.

"Hey Ryotarou! Don't forget me!" shouted Momotaros as he ran after the two.

"Yusuke, do Aka-kun here a favor and take the body off his hands. The last thing we need is to trouble our guests." Nobunaga ordered after the pair left along with the Imagin.

"Huh? But sir, I'm sure I can-" Then Rothus received an elbow to his left ribs, causing him to shut up.

"Don't you see how troubled he is? The poor boy is also reeking from not having a bath, so he needs to take a bath as soon as possible!" shouted Nobunaga before she glared at the redhead. "Any arguments?"

"Um… no, sir." Rothus said with a shake of his head after recovering from the elbow blow.

"Good! Yusuke, Lazer, do your thing and carry the body to our base." Nobunaga stated with a smile.

"He's not dead you know." Lazer pointed out with a deadpan tone.

"If a man hasn't woken up in the middle battle, I don't consider him alive!" Nobunaga responded back with a louder tone.

"That makes sense." Rothus said before receiving looks from everyone. "What?"

"So you must be the new arrivals that Nobunaga-san and the others brought back. The name's Yusuke Godai." The man said as he held his hand out.

"Oh hello. I am weaponized-"

Nobunaga elbowed the redhead in the left side again. "Cut the weapon soldier nonsense out, and just say your name, boy."

"I see, very well Lord Nobunaga. My desig-" Elbow to the ribs again. "I mean name. My name is Rothus. It is a pleasure to Mister Godai." Rothus said as he shook the man's hand.

"Good to meet you too, Rothus-kun." Yusuke responded back.

"My name is Mashu Kyrielite. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Godai-san." Mashu said in Japanese. Then she gestured to Fou who sat on her shoulder. "And this is Fou."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Kyrielite-san." Yusuke shook her hand and smiled as a greeting. "I'll take Kazuraba-san off of your hands, Rothus-kun."

"Very well." Rothus said with a nod before he moved the unconscious Kamen Rider off of himself and gave him to Yusuke who placed the male's arm over his shoulder.

"Don't forget me!" Lazer said as he grabbed the other arm to help the male. "Yosh! Let's get this patient to a bed! Stat!"

"Is that how a doctor is supposed to say?" asked Yusuke as he and Lazer carried the unconscious Gaim away.

"Not sure. But it puts a sense of urgency doesn't it?" replied Lazer as the two left towards their destination.

"Now that we've got introductions and the body out of the way. Let's go get a bath to celebrate our latest victory!" announced Nobunaga as she walked in a certain direction.

* * *

Rothus and Mashu quickly followed her towards the location which was a hot spring bath house.

"Welcome to Kyoto's famous hot spring bathhouse! I guarantee its five-star service!"

"I see… Wait, was there ever such a system, Mashu?" asked Rothus since he

"Yes, in our time, but for Nobunaga-san to know about it is quite strange."

"Don't sweat about the details and enjoy a good bath!"

"Sure, sir. Finally, I can finally have that genuine bathhouse experience!" proclaimed Rothus with an eager tone.

"Indeed, sempai." Mashu said with a smile at the redhead's reaction until she sensed something from behind them. She turned around and realized that what she sensed was a Leyline nearby. "Hold on, there's a Leyline in front of here. We may be able to contact Chaldea using it."

"True. Should we establish the connection now?" asked Rothus who knew that the bath could wait if it meant contacting their fellows back in Chaldea.

"Hm… I believe the decision is up to you, sempai."

"…Well, I believe we can establish proper contact for a mo-"

"Oi! Get in the bath or the water will get cold!" shouted Nobunaga from inside with an impatient tone.

"Then again, it would be rude to Lord Nobunaga if we ignored her generous invitation." Rothus reasoned not willing to anger the Archer. "It may be best we get that bath before contacting Chaldea."

"Indeed sempai. I'm sure that they can wait a few more minutes. We'll be contacted immediately if something happened." Mashu said.

"OIII! What's taking you two lovebirds so long?" shouted Nobunaga from behind the door as her patience appeared to be thinning.

"We'll be right there, sir!" shouted Rothus back before the two entered the bathhouse and closed the door.

* * *

Meanwhile back at Chaldea…

 _ **Heed my words,**_

 _ **My will creates your body.**_

 _ **And Your sword creates my destiny.**_

 _ **The world's Order and Humanity's future has been lost,**_

 _ **Yet the bell of extinction has not tolled.**_

 _ **I hereby swear, that I shall be all the good in the world.**_

 _ **That I shall defeat all the evil in the world!**_

 _ **Seventh heaven clad, And great words of power,**_

 _ **Grant me the power to lead the Guardians of the Scales!**_

As Yule made the final chant, he raised his fist high into the air as red marking started to burn onto the back of his hand. The energy pillar of light exploded skywards before collapsing onto itself to reveal the form of a new Servant. The Servant was in a crouching position with their head down. Then they stood up to reveal themselves as a young woman with blond hair tied into a long braid. Her outfit consisted of a dark blue cloak with a cross emblazoned on it, silver light armor covered her abdomen underneath was a similarly colored dress, her legs wore similarly colored leggings and steel heels, on her hip was a sword in a thin sheath, and in her hands was a white flag folded with a spear end.

" _My Lord. Once more, I shall raise this flag, for this country's—no, this world's salvation._

 _Order has gone up in flames, and so much purpose has been lost. Our future vanished in but a second._

 _Listen to my words, brave warriors gathered here, legion of brave heroic spirits!_

 _No matter if you were sworn enemies or no matter how far your time periods apart, now you must entrust your backs to one another!_

 _My true name is **Jeanne d'Arc**. In the name of my lord, I shall stand as your shield!_

 _This struggle is one that has long endured through the sands of human history._

 _But there is no need for concern, as untold fateful encounters await you._

 _Though this entire planet has become the battlefield of the Holy Grail War, though the world has been brought to ruin, though countless formidable foes block your path, the end has still yet to be determined by anyone._

 _Now, let us begin our fight, Master!_ " stated the Servant with an honest smile.

"...Eh?" Syforce said with a stunned tone and wide eyes along with everyone else in the room. The reason for their reaction was that the Servant was of an unknown class and she was also the famous Saint of Orleans, France.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the late update! There was a lot I had to put in and probably will continue to put in! So the next Singularity is based on the Guda Guda Order Event! Truth is that is the first event I played in when I started the Fate Grand Order game on the Japan Server! Though I will still have a lot to work on for this Singularity!**

 **Also the latest episode of Ex-Aid was pretty chilling! I never imagined that the kind Emu would have to execute Parad in such a cold manner!**


	9. Chapter 3-2: The Fateful Sengoku Pt 2

" **A man's life of 50 years under the Heavens is nothing compared to**

 **the age of this world. Life is but a fleeting dream, an illusion -**

 **Is there anything that comes to life and exists forever?** "

- _Translation of the Atsumori sung and danced by Oda Nobunaga_

* * *

(Shikisai- Sakamoto Maaya)

 _Instrumental_

Several pages fly through the air and gather into a book before being closed by a hand covered in silver armor and a black glove.

"The Will of History, Record. What will fate bring him to as the curtain of the Grand Order rises?"

A close up view showed the featureless masked face of the hand's owner, Record. He turns around as the scenery is covered by a various amount of symbols along with seven cards which each depicts a different type of hero. Then the titles forms on the screen:

 **Kamen Rider Record: The Will and Grand Order**

/ **Hitori ni naru to kikoeru no** / - / **When I'm alone, I can hear the words** /

Rothus is seen in a tube with several wires attached to his body with his eyes closed. Then he opens his eyes to find himself sitting in a battlefield filled with the corpses of several soldiers in mechanical armor, and he also wore similar armor. Noticeably some of the corpses have arrows pinning them to walls or in the ground. He stands up and soon the scene changes and twists before he stands in front of Archer in a city with gray clouds.

/ **kurushii nara yamete ii to** / - / **"If it's painful, feel free to stop"** /

The man smiles and turns away from the teen, causing Rothus to chase after him. Next, Rothus, in his Chaldea uniform, which is a short-sleeved white shirt with baggy black pants, steps into a hall of Chaldea and he sees Yule give him a wave with his right hand. The redhead runs past the silver haired young man towards a different destination.

/ **Burakku hooru mitai ni fukaku** / - / **Deep, almost like a black hole** /

Then Yule turns around and follows the redhead until he passes a woman with long braided blond hair and a flag, catching his attention. The 48th Master potential turns around and the young woman known Jeanne faces him with a smile. Noticeably, the two are standing on a castle wall riddled with arrows.

/ **kowakute miryokuteki na amai koe ga** / - / **from a sweet voice, frightening and tempting.** /

Standing in a grass meadow where rain fell is Emu who holds a yellow cartridge belonging to a late friend. The medical intern transitions into the pink-armored Kamen Rider Ex-Aid who turns to the arrival of Rothus who continues running and passes him.

/ **Anata no kuchiguse wo manete** / - / **I'll try mimicking the words you so often speak** /

Ex-Aid turns around to follow the cyborg redhead, but then a blade covered in flames flew right at the pink Kamen Rider, forcing him to lean back as its edge moved above him. Ex-Aid rolls back and jumps onto a high brick block before taking out his Gashacon Breaker. Standing on the meadow is a young woman in a red dress who swings her flaming sword before readying herself to fight the Kamen Rider. Noticeably, she shares the same face as Saber, but she had a haughtier expression.

/ **nan demo nai to itte miru** / - / **and say that it's nothing.** /

Rothus continues running and enters on the deck of a ship where it rocks a bit, putting him in a stumble but not stopping his pace. On the deck is Takeru who is staring at a sphere which is a dull grey before he transitions into Ghost. Then Olga Marie floats in near the Kamen Rider to point at the running redhead. The two try to greet him only that he ignores them and sprints past them. The two try to follow him only that they nearly run into a light pink-haired woman in a purple and red kimono.

/ **Sore ga uso demo kamawanai** / - / **It doesn't matter if that's a lie** /

The two turn around to look at the woman who smiles in response to their attention on her. Then another Kamen Rider Ghost shows up from behind the woman except he has red armor with a metal eye on the chest, jacket, and a flame-like mask. Alongside them was a man in Japanese samurai clothing with a long katana resting on his shoulder. Unnoticed, the sphere that Takeru was looking at earlier has its back change color into a scarlet red.

Rothus is now seen running through a green meadow at night, then he stops before Mashu who smiles towards him.

/ **tachitsudzukeru douki ni nareba** / - / **if it gives me a motive to continue to stand…** /

The pair turn to the side with as light shines upon the meadow. Then Saber joins them and draws her sword, Excalibur, at the ready. Then Yule shows up with the blond girl with braided long hair who is still holding the flag. She plants the flag into the ground and draws her sword, standing next to the Servants ready for battle. They charge down the slope as several people stand in their way.

 _Instrumental_

With each beat, people in a variety of outfits and armors from different eras of the past stand before the three. Then Kamen Riders Ex-Aid, Ghost, and Den-O join in with their weapons raised.

/ **Watashi ga miteru mirai wa hitotsu dake** / - / **There is only one future that I see.** /

As Rothus and Yule watch the fight unfold, several pages flew through the air. A page flies towards the fight between Saber and a blond haired man in golden armor who fights her with a bit of ease and agility. Then Archer appears and supports her before he deflects an arrow from a man with dark skin and wears a white suit.

/ **eien nado sukoshi mo hoshiku wa nai** / - / **Eternity isn't something I want in the least.** /

Another page flies towards the blond young woman who clashes her sword with another young woman who shares her face but has a crueler demeanor. In another location with another page, Ex-Aid is seen fending off the girl who attacked him earlier with his hammer now in sword mode before he equips his red armor that grants him a robot arm and fires the fist at the red version of Saber. Meanwhile, Ghost is clashing with a knight in black armor who nearly overwhelms him until the woman in the kimono and the red Ghost protect and help him.

/ **Ichibyou isshun ga itooshii** / - / **Every second, every moment is dear to me** /

The pages fly back and now with illustrations of the Servants and Kamen Riders before, they gather into the Tome that materializes onto Rothus's right arm. Then the redhead is covered in pages before they transform into a white and black metal armor. He jumps forward to aid Mashu as his featureless dome helmet constructs over his head.

/ **anata ga iru sekai ni watashi mo ikiteru** / - / **I, too, am living in the world where you are.** /

The armored soldier lands next to the Demi-Servant who blocks another attack. The Tome opens to materialize a golden and jeweled hilt that Rothus draws and swings out, creating a golden flash that engulfs the screen.

 _Instrumental_

Then flashes of different scenes are shown starting with several shadowed people who appear on screen with a shared characteristic of blue and green eyes. One Silhouette had six arms with the left arms wielding an axe, thin-bladed sword, and a claymore-like sword.

Den-O is seen with Ryotaro and they face Souji in a white kimono with a blue jacket and black scarf who points her katana at them. Standing next to the woman is Nobunaga as she shoulders her rifle and smile broadly.

Takeru is seen with Olga Marie in front of a stained glass window with the two Japanese swordsmen and the red Kamen Rider Ghost.

Saber and Archer walk past each other, not sparing a glance at each other.

The group of Kamen Riders, Rothus, and Mashu run on a stone bridge as a large golem smashes apart the bridge behind them before forcing them to jump off.

Rothus is seen sleeping in a meadow as four shadows tower over him. He wakes up and the shadows turn out to just be Mashu, Yule, Emu, and Takeru. They smile and help the redhead onto his feet. Then the group walks off and onwards, towards a sunny horizon.

* * *

 **Chapter 3-2: Other Order 1: The Fateful Sengoku Battle Part 2**

After bathing in the bathhouse, Rothus felt a bit more refreshed while wiping himself with a towel he was given before grabbing his clothes and redressing himself. The redhead walked out of the male side of the bathhouse and sat on a bench.

"Enjoyed your bath?" asked the clerk who was a woman in her 50s wearing a tanned colored kimono.

"Yes, it was quite refreshing." Rothus said with a smile. "I always dreamed of taking a bath in a bathhouse without an enemy attack. So this is pretty much fulfilling."

"Thank you. It's good that you enjoy our bathhouse, Shounen (young man)." The aged woman said with a grateful smile.

"I should be the one thankful for such a bath. But your welcome." The redhead nodded.

"Ah! Sempai!" said Mashu as she entered the outer room with a kimono robe on and Fou sitting on her shoulder. "You also finished bathing?"

Rothus greeted the girl with a smile and said, "Yes, and this may be the first time that I managed to bathe uninterrupt-"

"Okay! Let's get going to our strategy meeting you two!" announced Nobunaga as she walked between the two wearing her usual outfit before she turned to the older woman. "And the baths here are as soothing as last time, baa-san!" Then she gave a bag of rice to the clerk.

"That's a bit rude, Nobunaga-san." Mashu commented.

"No it's fine. I'm glad to have a lively customer such as her." The older woman waved off with a calm smile and chuckle.

"I see." Rothus said with a nod. Then the three left the bathhouse and were about to go to the base headquarters when he remembered their plans earlier. "Lord Nobunaga? May Mashu and I contact our comrades back at where we came from?"

"Chaldea, right? Mashu-chan already filled me in on our situation. I'll allow you two to make contact. After all, having more help is a benefit for our battles ahead."

"Thank you, sir. Now to make contact… Mashu, can you place your shield similar to how you did it back in Singularity F?" asked Rothus when he remembered how Olga Marie instructed Mashu in order to make full contact with Chaldea.

"Sure." Mashu summoned her shield and placed it where she felt the Mana was flowing the greatest.

Then Rothus approached the shield and kneeled near it, so he can place his right hand on it. Then circuits lit from within his right mechanical arm and the Record Tome quickly opened in response.

"LINK TO CHALDEA FULLY ESTABLISHED. PREPARING FULL ACCESS TO FATE SYSTEM. RECEIVING CALL FROM CHALDEA. RESPOND?"

"Yes. Respond." Rothus said in response to the confirmation request.

"CONFIRMED. ESTABLISHING FEED."

Then a number of pages flew out of the Tome and created a hologram display that fizzed into the form of Roman, Olga Marie, and Takeru. "Hello? Rothus? Mashu? Can you hear us?"

"Yes. I am here, Doctor-"

Suddenly Rothus was shoved to the side by Nobunaga. "Whoa! Now that's incredible! Is this also something common in the future?" asked the former warlord with a curious and amazed tone.

"Huh? Are you also a Servant of this Singularity?" asked Roman.

"That's right, Westerners of the future! I am the Demon Lord of the Seventh Heaven, the Demon Archer, Oda Nobunaga! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Nobunaga with a big grin and crossed arms.

Everyone in the Chaldea call just blinked in confusion and made blank expressions.

"Say what now?" asked Emu with a sweat drop.

"Y-You're Nobunaga-san?! But you're a woman!" shouted Takeru in surprise.

"So what if I am a woman? Got a problem with that, Tenkuji?" Nobunaga asked with narrowed eyes.

"Um no! I'm just surprised that's-" Takeru then cut himself off when he realized that Nobunaga said his last name. "Wait… you recognize me?!"

"Of course I recognize your unambitious face! So?" Nobunaga responded while crossing her arms and an eyebrow raised.

"But… I thought…" The light brunette hesitated to answer since Olga Marie told him that the Heroic Spirits they will meet in the Singularities would not be the same ones he knew.

Then Nobunaga took out an Eyecon from her pocket which had a purple back. "You may be in another time, but I do have some memories of my incarnation's time in your world! Thanks to this Eye-something here!"

"It's called an Eyecon. Then if you remember… Does that mean Makoto-nii chan is there as well?" asked the young man.

"Yep! He's currently back at our base. Imagine my surprise when the injured young man I found on the side of a road turns out to be a retainer I accepted in the future! Ha ha! I drank with him until sunrise in celebration of our reunion as fellow humans! Well human and spirit-in-human-form, but you get the point!"

"Thank goodness he's all right. Though is he all right after that celebration? I never did see him drink before." Takeru recalled having never seen the older male ever touch anything containing alcohol.

"Don't worry, it was just a couple of bottles of Sake and some talks!" stated Nobunaga with a carefree smile. Though she will hold to herself the fact that her retainer from the future got smashed after one bottle.

"*Ahem* While this reunion is certainly interesting, we do wish to discuss the situation with you, Miss Nobunaga." Olga Marie said with a formal tone.

"Just call me Nobunaga or Lord Nobunaga like Aka-shounen here. And yep, the situation is that bad! Who knew that the bomb I made from a mountain pool of magic stuff turned out to be the Holy Grail?" Nobunaga stated nonchalantly.

"Wait, so you were the one responsible? What were you thinking when you turned the Holy Grail into a Bomb?!" shouted Olga Marie which everyone but Rothus and Nobunaga winced at.

"It was actually on a whim." Nobunaga said with a shrug.

"A whim?! Your whim just became a threat to the entire timeline!" shouted Olga Marie indignantly.

"I know… I know… Why do you think I want to find the dumb thing? It's my fault I built the thing, so it's my job to disable and destroy it!" Nobunaga stated aloud and strong to show her firm stance.

"At least we have an agreement. Do you have any idea where the Holy Grail Bomb is?" asked Olga Marie who calmed down a bit.

Nobunaga closed her eyes while wrinkling her eyebrows to come up with a good answer. "Still working on it, but I do know that it's somewhere near Honnouji."

The group took notice at the name before Takeru said,"Honnouji? As in the temple where you-"

"Died. Yep, the one and the same. Don't worry, what happened already in the past can't be helped! We need to focus on the present!" stated the Archer as she waved off her place of death.

Takeru frowned in concern for the female warlord, but he nodded and gave a smile of his own. "You're right, Nobunaga-san. So it's near Honnouji, you say? How do you know?"

"Well… I first found this Holy Grail during my visit to Kyoto a few years before my seppuku, and I do remember that I saw the temple of Honnouji in the distance. The problem is locating the mountain where I left the bomb." Nobunaga recalled on the location of the Holy Grail.

"I see… In either case, we of Chaldea wish to lend our assistance in helping correct this anomaly, Nobunaga."

"Good to know, having more hands on board may be a sign that we may be closer to finding it." Nobunaga said with a smile.

"Excuse me for the interjection, sir, is the Rayshift ready to send Father and Saber onto our side?" asked Rothus.

"Yes, but before we continue, we wish to share our side of events." Olga Marie stated with crossed sleeves.

"Your side?" repeated Mashu.

"Yule." Olga Marie said with a commanding tone. Then Yule appeared on the feed.

"Here. Well, it seems I manage to summon someone incredible…" Yule laughed a bit as though he felt a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head while showing the hand which was marked with red sigil that looked similar to wings with a Z shape at the center.

"Don't go putting up an act of humility, commoner." Olga Marie said with a deadpan look.

"Hey! I'm still reeling in shock on who I summoned!" shouted Yule indignantly as he turned to glare at his somewhat former superior.

"Oh, so you managed to succeed in the ceremony? Congratulations, Mister Syforce. So who did you summon?" asked Rothus with an innocently curious look in his eyes. Yule gestured to someone outside of the feed and then a young woman appeared, much to the surprise of Mashu and Nobunaga about how stunning she looked.

"It turns out, my luck wasn't in its screwy mood today since I summoned Jeanne here, 3 hours ago…" Yule chuckled a bit as he scratched his head.

* * *

 _3 hours earlier:_

At Chaldea, everyone was not expecting Yule to summon an unknown Servant who identified herself as Jeanne d'Arc of Orleans, France. The white-haired male felt a sense of relief that at least he didn't someone dangerous such as a Berserker Class Servant. Though he still was understandably stunned.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Yule said rapidly with a hand raised while the other covering his face. He had his fair share of surprises, but to summon a Saint? "Did you just say that you're **the** Jeanne d'Arc?"

"That is correct." Jeanne said.

"The Saint of Orleans?" Yule pressed for further evidence.

"Yes, that is my title." Jeanne responded once more with a smile at the recognition of her title.

"Then… if you are Jeanne, why do you have long hair?" questioned the white haired young man as he glanced at the young woman's braided long hair.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Jeanne with a confused expression.

"I mean… I read about Jeanne d'Arc back in my high school and I remember the passage said how she was an ill-tempered tomboy with a pixie-bob cut hairstyle." Yule stated with a truthful tone with his index finger pointed up.

"Is that true?" whispered Emu who was confused that such a kind-looking girl would be a tomboy.

"Well yes, historically, Jeanne d'Arc's personality would be in line with that of a tomboy's…" Takeru stated factually.

"Oh, um… Those beliefs may had been exaggerated…" Jeanne said with a sweat drop and a nervous tone and chuckle. She knew she may had acted a differently from how women were treated in her time, but she only wanted to bring peace for her dear France in the name of God! Though it would explain why some men appeared to be afraid of her.

"With those words, I can't help but be worried." Yule commented with a sweat drop on his head. Then he shrugged off the awkwardness by giving an assuring greeting. "But historical accuracy aside, it's a pleasure to meet you, Jeanne. My name's Yule Syforce Lumiventus." Yule said with a smile and a short bow. "And welcome to our 'stop the extinction of humanity' organization, Chaldea."

"I am grateful that I managed to arrive. I have already been informed by the Grail of what Chaldea's goal is." Jeanne said with a small bow. Her Master was surprisingly loose despite his earlier stickling point of her appearance.

"That's good. So what can your class do exactly?" asked Yule. He had to be briefed/lectured again about the seven classes besides Mashu's Shielder class, but he guessed that there were other classes besides the traditional seven.

"Oh that's right, you all have no idea what the Ruler-class Servants is capable of because we are not part of the standard seven Servant classes. Normally, we Rulers act as mediators when the Grail senses that its authority is being encroached. But here, I wish to offer my services in announcing a Call to Arms." Jeanne informed the group.

"A Call to Arms?" wondered Yule before Olga Marie floated in.

"Excuse me, Saint Jeanne."

"Oh my! What happened to you, milady?" asked Jeanne as she raised her hand over her mouth in surprised at the poltergeist semi-former Director.

"I'll explain my current state at a later time. My name is Olga Marie Animusphere, the 'former' director of Chaldea due to my current state. The young man over there in the kimono jacket is my current assistant Takeru Tenkuji." She gestured to Takeru who walked in to introduced himself.

"Hello. It's an honor to meet you, Arc-san!" Takeru said with a bow in respect.

"The other young man is Doctor Emu Hojo, our head pediatrician."

"H-Hello!" Emu also gave a quick bow. "I'm still a bit green, but I'll do my best to help!"

"Those two… Why do they give off some sort of Heroic Spirit aura despite being humans?" Jeanne said as she felt that the two young men were giving off auras that were faintly like Heroic Spirits. Her Class skill, True Name Discernment, gave her information about the two both having a second name which baffled her. Kamen Rider Ghost and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid?

"Wait. So you can sense that they are Kamen Riders?" asked Yule with a surprised tone.

"Kamen Riders?" repeated Jeanne with a confused, clueless, and curious glance to her white haired Master.

"These two standing before you are heroes of the present era. They are known as Kamen Riders, which may seem a bit ridiculous with the title, but they are strong." Yule explained to the young woman.

"What? Heroes of the present era?" Then the blond haired saint turned to the two and realized the second names she received now made sense. "Now it makes sense. Forgive me for my ignorance, I do hope to get to know you two, um… Ex-Aid and Ghost, was it?"

"Whoa! You could tell who our armored form names are?" asked Emu who was surprised that Jeanne had some sort of identification ability.

"Yes, this is due to my Class's skill, **True Name Discernment**." Jeanne confessed before bowing. "My apologies if I was a bit intrusive."

Emu quickly waved his hands. "None at all! We also wish to know the Saint Jeanne in the flesh. Well Takeru-san here does, but-"

"*Ahem* If you all are done with introductions, we must continue the Master ceremony." Olga Marie said. "Emu, you are up next."

"Sure, Director." Emu said as he stood in front of the projection of the Shield and then held his hand out. Then he waited for instructions until Jeanne interrupted.

"Wait! I don't think now is a good time!" Jeanne said her hand raised in a motion to stop the attempt.

"Hm? What do you mean?" asked Olga Marie with an annoyed but curious look.

"It's just… a feeling. Right now, I believe that Sir Emu should not attempt this ceremony just yet."

"I see… Takeru, correct me if I'm wrong, but does Jeanne d'Arc possess a skill that allows her to predict danger?" asked Olga Marie since she only covered a small part of the Saint's history due to her focus was on her family's Magecraft research.

"Well, it is believed that Jeanne-san was bestowed with the ability akin to a sixth sense but greater which led her to victory in many battles and avoid catastrophic ambushes." Takeru recalled from a text he read about the many achievements of Saint Jeanne.

"That is correct, one of my personal skills is **Revelation** , which was gifted to me by my lord for my devotion." Jeanne said though she was glad that they listened.

"So basically you are our danger radar, got it." Yule said with his eyes closed, his arms crossed, and he gave a nod with his head.

"Beg your pardon? Don't speak lightly of the Lord's gift to me!" Jeanne reprimanded her master.

Yule quickly raised his hands to show his lack of hostility. "Whoa! I didn't mean to make fun of your god! I'm just simplifying how much your hunches might help us!" Then the young man decided to change topics. "Speaking of it, how about Takeru over there? Can he perform the ceremony without summoning something that could kill us or botching it?"

Jeanne decided to let go of a pending argument with her Master and turned to the young man with the kimono, feeling nothing off from his presence. Then she shook her head. "Nothing, I do not feel anything off-putting about Sir Takeru."

"Good. Okay, Takeru, you're up!" said Yule with a smile while turning to the brown hair young man.

"Hai!" Takeru nodded and held his hand out before turning to Olga Marie.

The female ghost smiled and nodded to Da Vinci who placed several more rainbow star quartz onto the projection. She turned to him with a nod as a signal for the young man to start. Then Takeru chanted the words that Olga Marie had him memorized in the case she was not available.

 _ **Heed my words,**_

 _ **My will creates your body.**_

 _ **And Your sword creates my destiny.**_

 _ **The world's Order and Humanity's future has been lost,**_

 _ **Yet the bell of extinction has not tolled.**_

 _ **I hereby swear, that I shall be all the good in the world.**_

 _ **That I shall defeat all the evil in the world!**_

 _ **Seventh heaven clad, And great words of power,**_

 _ **Grant me the power to lead the Guardians of the Scales!**_

As he chanted, then an Eyecon in his kimono started to glow along with a red brand in the shape of an eye normally emblazoned on his chest as Ghost formed on the back of his right hand. When the summoning circle formed, a massive surge of energy took place. The energy caused the air itself to shake then-

"So Mister Tenkuji also became a Master? Congratulations!" praised Rothus while clapping. Though he also interrupted what was going on and Da Vinci had to pause the video she prepared to explain what happened.

"Do not interrupt the story!" shouted Olga Marie with an angry voice. "It's who he summoned that is also important!"

"You mean me?" asked a male voice as a green hooded man appeared on the feed.

"Or me?" asked another Male as a Japanese Samurai appeared.

"Or me?" asked a female voice as a woman in a purple kimono with a short skirt appeared. All of the three shared curious expressions at the technology that allowed them to communicate with people in another time.

"Huh? Tenkuji-san summoned three Servants?" asked Mashu with a surprised.

"It appears so." Olga Marie answered with an annoyed tone by the crowded numbers due to the new Servants joining in on the video screen. "Now let the video continue where it let off to let you understand what happened! And no interruptions!"

The light dispersed and the form of a green hooded man stood before the group. "All right, now that I'm summoned, I'll work. In my own way."

"Eh? Robin Hood-san?" Takeru said with a stunned tone upon recognizing the voice of the man.

"Hm?" Then the green robed Servant lifted his hood up a bit to get a better look at the male and widened his eyes in recognition. "Huh. Takeru. Were you the one who summoned me?"

"Hai! Thank goodness I managed to summon you, Robin Hood-san!" Takeru said with a respectful bow to the man. Summoning one his heroes was giving the young man hope for the next few skirmishes.

"Hmph, good to know you're still in one piece after I lost connection. How about the others?" asked the green cloaked Archer who crossed his arms. He was surprised when he was suddenly yanked out of the mortal realm and back into the Throne of Heroes without any warning, but he had confidence that the young man can manage without his help.

Takeru frowned and said, "No good, they all left their Eyecons, see?" Then he took out the several discolored Eyecons he had in his possession.

"Let me see…" The older man took a closer look at an Eyecon and felt no power or spiritual energy coming from it. "Hm, you're right. They probably all went back to the Throne… Oh well, at least you managed to keep yourself alive without our help."

"Hai. But I still wish for guidance from all of you." Takeru confessed before he noticed that Robin Hood's Eyecon was now green. "Wait!" Then the young man picked up the Eyecon and felt its power. "Your Eyecon's colors returned!"

"Really?" asked the orange-redhead as he also took a look and felt his power from the Eyecon. "Yep, that's definitely my Eyecon. I'll let you hold onto it, Takeru." The man tossed the Eyecon to Takeru who caught it. "Seems like we'll be fighting together again, kid. More or less."

"Hai! I hope to we can work together to save the world!" announced the younger male who smiled at the thought of working alongside one of his heroes.

"Save the world? What sort of business did you get into this time?" asked the "honorable" thief since he knew that despite Takeru's inexperience, he still wanted to help people. Though the saving the world thing nearly gotten him killed several times, or rather his quest to protect two worlds actually did get him killed.

"Allow me to explain." Olga Marie said as she floated in to explain the circumstances.

"A parka-ghost with a human head? What did you do to get yourself killed?" asked the cloaked man as he somewhat knew that Eyecons acted as temporary vessels for human souls, but seeing the manifestation such as the girl before him was a bit odd.

"Not the matter of the discussion, Servant."

"… She's a real piece of work you chose, Takeru." Robin Hood whispered to the young man knowing his habit of recklessly saving people.

"Don't worry, Marie-san is a nice person when you get to know her." Takeru reassured the man with a whisper.

"*Ahem* I'm right here, you know!" shouted the female poltergeist in question. "As I was saying-"

"Director!" shouted Roman with an alarmed tone.

"What is it now, Romani?" asked Olga Marie who also shouted into the smartwatch.

Roman managed to lean back after receiving a loud shout from the semi-former Director. "Well… from what these readings say, the summoning is still going and I can't turn it off!"

"Again?! This is way too similar to what happened with Rothus-kun!" Emu said as he prepared to fight by equipping his belt and taking out his Mighty Gashat.

"Wait! Whoever is coming out may not be an enemy!" Jeanne shouted with her arm raised.

"Is that your danger sense telling you that?" asked Yule with an eyebrow raised with a dubious tone.

"Either way, we will have to wait and see who arrives…" Olga Marie said with a nervous tone.

When the light cleared, standing on the platform revealed a young man with dark purplish hair and he wore clothing which came from the times of medieval Japan. He opened his eyes and stated before the group. "Assassin-class Servant, Sasaki Kojirou. I come to serve. So who among you is my Master?"

"I am!" Takeru said with a friendly smile as he approached the Servant. "Tenkuji Takeru! It's an honor to meet you, Sasaki-san!" The young man introduced himself and offered to shake hands with the swordsman.

Sasaki gave the young man a glance and felt his connection to the young man as well as the… room. "No need to act friendly, Master. But I do appreciate the gesture." The man said with a respective smile and a hand raised in respectful refusal. "So mind explaining what is with the number of Servants?" The man gave a few glances at Jeanne and Robin hood. When he left the platform, another light formed, causing the man to turn around. "Hm?"

"Hey! The summoning circle is still going!" shouted Yule who noticed that the ritual was activating again.

"Seriously?! This might as well be a batch summoning if this keeps up!" shouted Emu over the wind picking up as the lights glowed with a rainbow aura. Then the orbs collided and the pillar of light exploded upwards. When the light died down, the group were surprised to the sight of… nothing.

Takeru voiced what was everyone's minds right now. "Eh?"

"Okay… was that summoning supposed to be botched?" asked Yule who turned to Jeanne.

"No. It is obvious that the summoning was successful, but… I don't sense the Servant." Jeanne said with a concerned tone.

"Romani! I need an explanation!"

"Like Miss D'Arc said, the summoning was successful, so it doesn't make sense why the Servant isn't there." Romani said before an alarm sounded off.

"What's that alarm, Romani?" asked Olga Marie.

The man quickly checked what alarmed went off and found it was the projectile radar detecting an object heading to the base. "The air radar seems to be picking up something! And it is falling towards-"

Suddenly, something smashed through the ceiling of Chaldea and onto the summoning platform. The groups braced themselves from the blast of wind pressure from whatever crashed. When the dust cloud slowly dispersed, a voice was heard.

"Yosh! Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Harunobu-bu…*Cough*!?" shouted a female voice as the group saw the sight of a young woman in a purple kimono with a short skirt introducing herself though she fumbled her introduction when she coughed a bit. "Gomen, let's do that over!" The woman with a hand raised as a gesture to restart her introduction. "Servant Saber, Shinmen Musashi has arrived! Show me something fun and interesting, Master!" announced the Saber who smiled with an eager tone.

"Eh? Musashi…san?" Takeru repeated with a confused tone at the identity of the female Servant.

The woman noticed the light-brown haired male after he said her name and approached him in a friendly manner. "Nice to meet you too. You must be my Master! I hope we can get along!"

"Y-Yeah! But… aren't you supposed to be a male, Musashi-san?" asked Takeru who was still shocked about the woman who shared the same name as Musashi.

"Eh? The Musashi in this world is a man?" asked the woman with a surprised tone.

"In this world?" muttered Olga Marie who caught the woman's words.

"H-Hai, he was a famous swordsman who I looked up to-"

"And also extremely famous? What a surprise!" exclaimed the woman identified as Musashi with a big smile before she wrapped her arm around Takeru's neck and shoulder in a friendly tone. "You've got to tell me all about him, Master!" Then she dragged him away with an eager smile.

"Hey! Wait a moment!" shouted Olga Marie as she followed the pair.

"Wait, do you see that ghost as well, Master?" asked Musashi.

"Yes, she's actually my superior." Takeru pointed out.

"Really?!"

"Well this is a surprise…" muttered Sasaki who found it strange that he was summoned again as a Servant. Though he was amused at how Musashi was summoned as an energetic woman and his new Master seemed to be the type to be teased easily considering his blush while struggling under the female's grip.

"You got that right, to think the kid would summon someone that incredible and on the first try. Though I do wonder how our Musashi will react to this girl." Robin Hood commented with a mischievous smirk at how the usually calm Musashi would react to the revelation of having a female counterpart.

"He would probably be shocked." Sasaki smirked while imagining the swordsman's reaction.

"Jeanne…" Yule started with closed eyes before turning to the blond female. "Was this also in your predictions?"

"Well… no not really, Master." Jeanne said with a shake of her head. She was not expecting a Servant summoning to result in such a sudden event. "My Revelation only works as a sort of… feeling. I did not feel anything ill about letting Sir Takeru perform his first summoning, though this is a surprising development.

"You don't say… At least you being here means some good luck for us." Yule said with a smile.

"True, Master." Jeanne said with a smile. "So where is the other Master in this facility, the one who is the Will of History?"

Yule widened his visible eye and turned to the shorter Servant with a question. "You mean Aka? Well… He's kind of in a pickle right now."

"What do you mean?" asked the braided blond girl.

Yule decided to make a blunt answer and said, "He and his first Servant, Shielder, were recently dragged into a Singularity a few hours ago."

"Dragged in?! Then we must save him! The Will of History is essential for the survival of mankind!" shouted Jeanne with a panicked tone.

"Wait. Survival of Mankind? What is so special about Aka's book that makes him be that essential?" asked Yule who was a bit dubious about Rothus's role since the redhead was saddled with the title without knowing what he was entitled to. Technically that old man never truly explained what he was supposed to do.

"Well… um… based on the information I received from the Throne of Heroes and the Holy Grail… the Will of History is the designated **witness** to all of the history of mankind. The very proof of our existence and being." Jeanne informed the white haired young man.

"So basically super important. Gotcha." Yule nodded with crossed arms. "Too bad we won't be able to head to his side yet."

"What do you mean?"

"See those tube things?" Yule gestured to the still damaged, unfunctional Coffin tubes scattered around the Chaldeas room. "Apparently we're originally supposed to jump into a Singularity using them. But a bombing wrecked them to unusability, so we're stuck here."

"That's… very unfortunate." Jeanne said with a worried tone.

"I'll say." Yule said with a shrug. "Don't worry, Aka's going to get backup soon. Just wait and see."

"Really? Then God's blessing hasn't been lost on us yet." Jeanne sighed in relief as she held her hands in a prayer.

"God really doesn't have anything to do with our situation." Yule commented with a sweat drop on his head.

* * *

Then the video paused there.

"So that's what has transpired since our absence." Mashu said to the Chaldea members on the screen. "At least the summons were successful."

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Will of History. I am Jeanne d'Arc. Ruler Servant." Jeanne addressed to the redhead with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too, Miss Arc. My name is Rothus. And I preferred to be addressed by that name."

"And onto other good news, we managed to make the final adjustments to the Rayshift. So Archer and Saber will be joining you two soon." Roman reported with a smile before turning to Da Vinci who nodded in confirmation.

"That's good news, Doctor. Speaking of Father and Saber, where are they?" asked the redhead who noticed that said Servants were missing.

"Archer is cleaning up the kitchen along with Saber. Probably to ease their minds about the situation you and Mashu are in." Yule said with a shrug.

* * *

At Chaldea's cafeteria,

"Archer… does this seem a bit much?" asked Saber who wore a white apron over her blue dress with a mop and bucket in hand.

"Hm… Not really… This is less than when Rin made me fix and clean up the Tohsaka Mansion on the night I was summoned." Archer shrugged off with a nonchalant tone as he wore a similar attire with a handkerchief tied on his head.

"I see. But… this seems…" Saber trailed off to look at the sight of the spotless kitchen and cafeteria.

Every table was sparkling and the floor shined to the point one could see his or her mirror reflection.

"overdone?" the blond knight finished as she looked at her reflection on the floor.

"I say it's fine!" Naomi said with a smile as she also wore an apron and held a spray bottle and rag. "We managed to make this place spotless!"

Then a beeping was heard from Archer as he rolled up his wrist to reveal the Chaldea smartwatch.

"Yes." The Servant of the Bow answered after he pressed the accept call button.

"Archer, bring Saber to Chaldeas. We're ready to rayshift you two to where Rothus and Mashu are." Roman said.

"Understood. We'll be right there, Doctor." Archer said before he turned to Naomi. "Can you handle the cafeteria while we're gone?"

"Of course, boss!" Naomi saluted with a smile.

"Good." Archer said. "And don't try serving that strange coffee of yours to the people here. It will be a waste of coffee beans."

"Hey, don't say that until you try it!" pouted the young woman with the pink highlight.

"I did, and it wasn't even remotely coffee." Archer responded with a deadpan expression. Who would even enjoy mayo as a topping on coffee?

"Archer, may I remind you we are to report to the Chaldeas room?" Saber reminded her fellow Servant.

"Right. We will have this conversation later, Naomi." Archer before he took off the apron and left with Saber.

"Neeehhh…" Naomi stuck her tongue out at the departing male.

* * *

"How is progress on getting the Rayshift to function properly for human members?" asked Mashu with a curious tone.

"It will take a couple more days. When we managed to stabilize the Rayshift coffins for human allies, the Kamen Riders over here will immediately be ready join your side." Roman said with a smile. "So try to hold your own over there."

"Understood." Rothus complied as Fou appeared to glare at something.

"Fou? What is the matter?" asked Mashu as she turned to her shoulder companion before the group heard shouting.

"GA-*BzzT*-HA-*ZZT*-HAHA-*Bzz*-HA-*Bzz*-HA! You *BZzzZ* mortals do not need to comprehend me! For I am GOD!" shouted a distorted male voice. Then a man ran through the street and the group noticed that his face was unrecognizable, as it was distorted by something akin to glitched visuals. The same goes for his very being, his skin appeared to be static as if reality cannot distinguish his race. His voice was chopped up into somewhat comprehensible words, but not enough to identify his voice.

"What the?" Emu said with confused tone at the sight of the glitchy person. "Is that a Bugster?"

"You won't escape this time!" shouted another voice as a kamen rider with dark green armor and an orange insect wing cape chased after the glitchy person.

"Great, that guy again." Nobunaga said with an annoyed tone.

"Hm?" Rothus turned to Nobunaga with a questioned look. "Is he a threat, Lord Nobunaga?"

"Well yes," Nobunaga said before summoning a rifle into her hand and firing it at the man who fell back after the bullet went through his chest. "But an annoyance at best. Haven't found a way to kill him just yet." As she talked, the man glitched with an orange color before twitching rapidly.

"Haven't found a way to kill him?" Mashu repeated with a questioning tone before Rothus noticed-

"Oh, he's getting back up." Rothus commented with a blink.

"Huh?!" Mashu turned towards the place where the man lied and sure enough he was standing up.

"Who*BzzT* dares… SHOOT ME, A KAMI(GOD)?!" shouted the man who bent his head back to look down on the one who shot him. Then the green kamen rider tackled the man before restraining him with a head lock. "GAH! YOU *BzzT* dare... lay *BZZt* a hand on *Bzzztzzt* me?!"

"Shut up!" shouted the Kamen Rider as he punched the man in the face.

"See what I mean?" Nobunaga huffed with an annoyed look as if the scene was a regular occurrence.

"Quite strange. Is this man… glitching?" wondered the redhead as he tried to make sense of why the man's body was phasing in and out of existence while he was being restrained by the Kamen Rider.

"ANOMALY IDENTIFIED. REMOVAL RECOMMENDED," announced the Record Tome.

"Hm?" Rothus turned to his right arm and saw that the tome glowed. "What's going on with the Tome this time?"

"Anomaly removal? Could that have something to do with that man?" Mashu hypothesized while looking towards the scuffle between the two men which the insect armored man was wrestling the glitch man to the ground.

"Possibly. Lord Nobunaga, can I silence this anomaly?" asked the redhead.

"Sure, go ahead. What was it you westerners say…? Oh! Go break his legs!" ordered Nobunaga with a point of her finger.

"Understood." Rothus walked forward as he took out his knife.

"That's not exactly the right phrase…" Roman muttered.

"Wait, Rothus-kun! He's still alive, so don't kill him!" pleaded Emu.

Rothus stopped and turned to Emu. "But if he could be an obstacle to the mission."

"Yes, but that is still a human being! He-"

"He isn't, Sir Emu." Jeanne said with a frown.

"Wait, what do you mean, Jeanne?" asked Yule with a questioning tone.

"The man right there... he isn't supposed to exist. It's almost as if he is supposed to be erased as according to Gaia's laws, but a fragment of him remains..." Jeanne trailed off with a troubled look. Every sense of her being was pointing out how that man whose body glitched as he struggled was not even alive or dead.

"So like a glitch that can't be entirely erased by the laws of the world?" concluded Olga Marie.

"Yes. Leaving such a being alone could present a problem if left unchecked."

"I see. Rothus, you may execute this Anomaly Removal."

"Understood, sir." Rothus said as he approached the Rider and the glitched man.

"Hold still!" shouted the Insectoid Rider as he slammed the man into the ground again.

"Excuse me. May I try?" Rothus politely asked the man with the Insectoid helmet.

"To kill this guy? Go ahead." Then the Kamen Rider pulled the glitching man onto his feet.

"You*BzzT* dare approach me, a *BZZT* god?! I'll *BZzzT* come back stronger than ever! AH-*BZZT*-AHAHAHAAHA!"

*Schick*

"Eh?" The unknown man looked down and saw that Rothus had stabbed him in the heart. "GAH! *BZZZZZZTT* You dare stab your *BzzzzzT* god?!"

Rothus blinked and pulled out the knife before staring at the bloodless blade and wondering, "Hm, did I execute the removal procedure incorrectly?" Then he proceeded to stab the man in different places starting from the neck to the lung.

"Sempai! Stop it!" shouted Mashu who did not want to see the redhead continue to attempt to kill the man. It was scary enough hearing the sound of the blade entering flesh.

"Why? I'm trying to remove him." Rothus said as he pulled out the bloodless knife again with a clueless expression.

"Well, it's not working. Try something else!" shouted Nobunaga.

"Then you'll *BzZzzT* receive divine punishment for this!" threatened the man as he pointed at Rothus who did not appear afraid and instead reared his foot.

*Conk*

"Ooh, right in the kiwis!" commented Yule with a cringe in his tone after seeing Rothus slammed his heel nonchalantly into the man's genitals.

The unknown man glitched and crumpled onto his face from the attack with his butt sticking in the air. "Divine… *Bzzt* Punish…*BZZZZT* ment…" The man said through grit teeth while trying to keep his twitching hand stretched out. Noticeably, his form appeared to fizzled in and out of existence from the attack.

"That didn't work either…" Rothus commented with a bit of disappointment at his attempt.

"A bit unorthodox, but that shut him up. So you have a way to remove him?" asked the Kamen Rider as he crossed his arms.

"Yes, but I haven't figured out the process yet." Rothus said with a puzzled tone. "Maybe I should him there a bit harder." Then the redhead raised his metal-plate foot for another kick.

"Rothus, don't kick him there again! It's inhumane!" shouted Roman.

"It is?" asked Rothus as he lowered his leg and turned to the older male.

"Yes!" shouted every sane male present.

"Fine, but what other method is there besides kicking?" wondered the redhead as he crossed his arms.

"Well figure it out soon, Kuma-boy! The annoyance is getting up!" warned Nobunaga.

"That… *BzzT* is nothing *BzzT* against me… a… god…" The glitch man gritted out as he tried to stand up with shaky legs.

Rothus looked up and prepared to just shoot the man when he felt a surge of information enter his electronic hud and soon a new command could be seen before him. " **Command: Remove Anomaly**?"

"COMMAND CONFIRMATION RECOGNIZED."

Then the Record Tome glowed over Rothus's right arm and his mechanical hand opened up to reveal the inner workings that sparked with blue-white energy. Then Rothus automatically punched the man with the hand and soon he also started glowing with his very being falling apart.

"DECONSTRUCTING EXISTENCE OF ANOMALY IN PROGRESS."

The man stumbled back as his glitched body started to fall apart and disintegrate. "What?! My body! IMPOSSIBLE! I AM*BzzT* *Bzzt* *Bzzt* *Bzzt*! I AM GOD! I AM-"

"Can someone shut him up?!" shouted Yule.

*Bang*

"He has been shut up." Rothus said with a calm voice with a smoking revolver.

"I AM GO-"

"*Shriek* HOLY S***! Zombie! Double-tap, Aka! Double-Tap!" screamed Yule as he hugged Jeanne in fear while the hugged female blushed in surprise by his action.

*Bang* *Bang*

Then Rothus quickly fired two bullets into the man's brain, shutting him up.

"Is he dead?" asked Takeru with a nervous tone.

"How *BZZT* dare you!" the man suddenly shouted as he jerked his head up.

"Triple-Tap to make sure!" shouted Yule again.

*Bang*

"GAH!"

"Quadruple-Tap just for extra assurance!"

*Bang*

"Then empty a fresh round of bullets just to-"

"Enough! There's no need for him to-" Olga Marie shouted before being interrupted by the glitch man.

"I *BZZT* won't die!" shouted the disappearing man once more.

*Bang* "BOOM"

Rothus quickly reloaded his gun and fired an explosive bullet into the man's head, creating an explosion the engulfed him. When the smoke cleared, what remained of the glitch man dispersed into light particles.

"ANOMALY REMOVAL: CONFIRMED"

"He actually killed him…" muttered the green Kamen Rider.

"Not killed… More like deleted." muttered Roman as he analyzed the process of removal through his computer terminal.

"It appears so, the Singularity is now within stable parameters." Da Vinci said from her terminal.

"Wait, the Singularity was unstable, Da Vinci-san?" asked Takeru as he approached her terminal with Olga Marie.

"Only for a moment, Takeru. See? The moment that man showed up, the Singularity's existential link to the world appeared to unravel."

"So if he was left alone he would crash the Singularity?" concluded Emu who looked a bit conflicted that the Anomaly Removal look a bit akin to a **Game Over**.

"Seems like it. But what the hell was up with that guy? He looked like he was a glitched character in a video game." Yule pointed out.

"Master... Can you let go of me?" asked Jeanne who blushed a bit at the protective hug Yule was giving her.

"AH! Sorry! That was sort of a knee-jerk reaction due to how that guy just got up..." said the white haired master while scratching his head in nervousness.

Jeanne smiled and said, "It's fine. Just try to be brave next time."

"Hey, I'm brave!" Yule responded in indignation. "Just... Not really good with zombies."

* * *

*SMACK*

"Congratulations for taking care of that pest, my young retainer." Nobunaga praised after she slapped the redhead on the back.

"O-Of course, Lord Nobunaga." Rothus grunted out from the sudden hit before he noticed something on the ground. He crouched down to pick it up and it was a black, thick block was shaped similar to a game Cartridge. "Hm? What's this?"

"UNKNOWN."

Mashu closed in to take a better look at the object the redhead picked up and realized that the cartridge appeared to be similar to only one item, "That looks... similar to those cartridges that Doctor Emu uses!"

"Really? Hey Rothus-kun, can I have a look?" The redhead complied and brought the thick cartridge for Emu to look at and to his surprise it was a Gashat. "That is a Gashat! But what is with the thick size?"

"Hm… Ah! Maybe it's another upgrade for you, Emu-sensei!" Takeru said with a finger point.

"Really? But why was that glitchy guy holding it?" wondered the pediatric doctor as he crossed his arms in puzzlement. " _Could he have been a victim of the Bugster Virus? Though... one with a god complex? Wait, god_ complex?" Then the image of a man with a crazed smile and a black Might Action X gashat came to mind. "...No, _it couldn't be **him**. Last I checked, he was still alive..._ "

"Emu?" The green insectoid Kamen Rider noticed before approaching the screen which showed the Chaldea Group. "As in Hojo Emu?"

"Um, yes that's me. And you are?" asked the young doctor since he did not recognize the Kamen Rider.

" **Kamen Rider Another Agito** , but you may also address me as," Then the insectoid armor started to morph and glow before the Rider turned into a man in his 40s wearing a black coat and matching pants. " **Kino Kaoru**. It appears you do not recognize me."

"Well yes, I believe this is the first time we met." Emu said humbly.

"…It's fine then." The man turned to Nobunaga and said, "Nobunaga-san, I'll be heading back to the base. Should I inform the others about our new recruits?"

"Of course, Kino. Tell the others to prepare a feast for our arrival!" Nobunaga stated as she waved her hand out to the Kamen Rider.

"Very well." Then the older man left in a certain direction.

"Another Agito… Does that mean that there is an original Agito?" wondered Rothus who tried to make sense of the name.

"Possibly. Is that man part of the group of Kamen Riders, Nobunaga-san?" asked Mashu with a curious tone.

"Yep! Despite appearances, that old man is a doctor like my steed, been patching us up when we gotten into several close calls! He even came up with a temporary treatment for the hitman! *Laughs*"

"I see…" Mashu responded.

"Though why does he know my name?" wondered Emu.

"We can worry about it later, Emu. Rothus, put away that device." Rothus complied and put the block Gashat into his pocket. "Let us focus on transporting Archer and Saber over to the Singularity." Olga Marie waved off the mystery of the older man in favor of the current agenda. "Romani."

"Understood." Roman turned to the console and pressing a button. "Archer, Saber, we're ready."

* * *

Archer sat on a rock in the deployment room containing Chaldeas along with Saber standing by with her armor ready.

"Finally. All this waiting was driving me crazy." Archer said as he stood up and walked up to the massive globe.

"Archer, take care not to be reckless." Saber advised as she followed the Servant of the Bow.

"Relax Saber, I know when to keep my cool." Archer said with a smirk as they stood in front of the blue globe.

"Oh right! Before I forget." The resident genius Servant leaned underneath her desk searching for something.

"Forget what, Da Vinci-san?" asked Takeru.

"This!" Then Da Vinci took out a white case with a strap and ran to the broken window of the command room. "Archer! Catch!" shouted the female Servant as she threw the case through the window, much to the group and the two servants' surprise. Then Archer quickly ran and caught the metal container with ease.

"A little warning next time, Da Vinci!" shouted the man before he looked at the case he was holding. "Wait, this is-"

"I already packed the **essentials** in the case along with Rothus's personal sword and a few extras~!" shouted Da Vinci with a wink.

"So basically, I'm delivering this to the kid?" summarized Archer with a deadpan tone as he held the white case.

"Yep~! Roman, you can start up the Rayshift now!" Da Vinci called out to Roman.

"Oh, right!" Roman said as he pressed a button with a Chaldeas lit up.

"Ready, Archer?" asked Saber as she stood in front of Chaldeas.

"Always." Archer stated as he shouldered the case onto his shoulder.

Then the two disappeared into light which crossed throughout time to their destination.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Sengoku Period Kyoto,

"They should be arriving shortly." Mashu said.

"Good." Rothus responded.

Then a pulse of energy formed from the magic circle of Mashu's shield. Next, two silhouettes formed from the circle and they materialized as Archer and Saber. The two opened their eyes and stepped off the makeshift, magic platform of the shield and stood in front of the two.

"Saber, Father, welcome to Kyoto." Rothus greeted the two Servants.

Archer gave the new surroundings a look around before commenting, "Well, at least this beats being in a desert."

"Indeed. Though it was strange that there was rain in the desert." Rothus added on the subject Archer meant.

"Welcome Servants of the future! I am Oda Nobunaga! The Demon Archer! Ah HA HA HA HA HA!" Nobunaga greeted the two Servants with a loud voice.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nobunaga of Owari." Saber said with a formal bow.

"Same here, Nobunaga-san." Archer greeted.

"Hey. Hey. No need to get formal! I'm no longer a lord since my passing. But I do command the respect of some followers." Nobunaga stated with pride.

"Followers?" asked Archer who looked a bit dubious.

"Yep! Let's introduce you all to them when we get to our main base!"

"All right. Before you lead us there, milord, let us finish this meeting." Rothus said.

"Sure. I can wait."

"Sir, is there anything else we need to know?" asked the redhead as he directed his attention to Olga Marie.

"Noth-"

"Archer, did the package make it?" asked Da Vinci who also interrupted Olga Marie.

"Da Vinci, you-"

"Wait, Marie-san! Not right now!" shouted Takeru as he held back the female poltergeist and covered her mouth so she wouldn't shout.

Archer took out the case and held it to the screen page. "All intact, Da Vinci."

"Good, hand it to the young Master. Everything he needs for this mission is in there." Da Vinci said.

"All right. Does it also include a shirt for him?" asked Archer as he pulled away the case as Rothus reached for it.

"Of course~ I would be quite negligent if I forgot to add something to cover up the young Master." Da Vinci said with a wink.

"You really planned it all out…" Archer once more pulled away the case from the redhead's hands before turning to the shorter male. "Rothus, I'm not giving you the case until I can confirm there aren't any WMDs in this."

"I am just curious what is inside, Father." The redhead said with curious look in his eyes.

"You being curious is how people get killed." The man snarked.

"Don't worry, the only dangerous weapon in there is the young Master's Sword. The rest are essentials all standard issue to all Masters of Chaldea." Da Vinci guaranteed with a reassuring smile.

"I see. But let me at least get him that shirt." Archer said as he tried to open the case but noticed that there doesn't seem to be a noticeable lock or handle.

"*Chuckle* Let me help you with that." Then a part of the case open to reveal a folded shirt.

Archer took the shirt before giving it to Rothus. Then the opening closed into the case. "A bit inconvenient if you have the key to the case." The tanned skin man noted.

"Sorry about that, I made sure that the case can only be opened by the young Master." Da Vinci said with a mischievous smile.

"When did you get his fingerprints?" asked Takeru with a curious tone.

"When I was fixing him up, I also inputted his bio-signature and prana signature." Da Vinci answered.

"You manage to make that for him in just a couple of hours?" asked Emu in surprise at the small time frame that the female Servant had managed to install such features into the case.

"Actually, I was already planning out the Singularity deployment supply case, but I had to make a few adjustments just to fit in his sword." Da Vinci revealed with a knowing smile.

"She's right. That's the reason Da Vinci wasn't present during the first Singularity operation." Mashu stated with a matter-of-fact tone. She knew that this was why the Servant remained unharmed during the First Singularity sabotage.

"Seems like it worked. So mind explaining why you gave him a Mystic Code as a shirt?" asked Archer as Rothus put on his new shirt which was a variant short sleeve shirt with the Chaldea Symbol etched onto both shoulders. The shirt then flashed with a bit of circuit weave flowing through it along with the Record Tome glowing for a moment.

"Also standard issued for all Masters of Chaldea. Now the young Master has a set of spells he can use to provide support to allied Servants."

"Really?" asked Rothus as he noticed a light flared from the Record Tome before it opened to reveal three pages with sigils.

"INSTALLATION OF CHALDEA UNIFORM MYSTIC CODE-COMPLETE. SPELLS: **FIRST AID** , **REINFORCEMENT** , **EMERGENCY EVASION**. READY FOR USE."

"Oho? It appears your tome has integrated the Spells, young master."

"It seems so, Miss Da Vinci." Rothus said as the shirt lit up for a moment with the circuit weave shown once more before energy traveled to his left hand.

"I helped as well, you know." Zelretch said with crossed arms, causing everyone except Rothus who just turned to face the old man to jump back in surprise.

"Wizard Marshal?!" shouted Mashu in surprise.

"Must you always appear without warning, old man?" asked Archer who was not amused at the sudden appearance of the Second Magician.

"Of course." The older man chuckled with a wide smile.

"Who's the old coot?" asked Nobunaga as she pointed a thumb at the elder man, much to the shock of the groups.

"Don't address the Wizard Marshal with such a name!" shouted Olga Marie.

"It's fine, Animusphere. You can't blame her if she does not know me to begin with." Zelretch shrugged off the comment. "Besides, I'll be gone in a jiffie. Just had to make sure if the kid's Mystic Code didn't explode. So how does the shirt feel, kid?"

"From just putting it on, I received a static shock, but otherwise it appears to be functioning well." Rothus reported as he patted at the fabric of his shirt.

"Good. Now you should know that the spells installed in that Mystic Code will grow as much as you grow."

"Okay."

"Do you know what I am talking about?" Zelretch asked to make sure.

"Every battle allows my spells to develop." Rothus immediately responded.

"Exactly. Now, I must take my leave before I decide to mess with you all in this Singularity." Zelretch said as a portal opened up behind him.

"Knowing you, you already did." Archer deadpanned.

"Nah. This Singularity has enough surprises that don't need my hand in it. Oh right, if you meet an acquaintance of mines, tell him that my favor to him is paid." The old mage said with a smile.

Wait…

What?

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hold on a minute! We didn't agreed to that old man! Who the hell did you involve?!**

* * *

"Is this someone dangerous?" asked Mashu with a worried tone.

"Not really, unless you are a resident of his world." Zelretch shrugged. "Ta ta!"

"Oi! Wait for a moment!" shouted Archer before the elderly man disappeared through a portal. "Tch, who the hell did he involve this time?"

"I'm sure we will meet Mister Zelretch's acquaintance later on, Father." Rothus stated with an unsurprised look at the elder man's antics.

"That doesn't mean I'm looking forward to it." The white haired and tanned man scowled at the future danger that Zelretch left the group with.

*Clap* *Clap*

"If we're all done with the chit-chat, let's get going to my HQ." Nobunaga announced to the Chaldea members. "I'm sure the others are worried given the amount of time has passed since you two started this conversation."

"Oh… Sorry for the inconvenience, Nobunaga-san." Mashu apologized with a small bow.

*SMACK!*

"Ow?!" Mashu cringed as she held her head with the sting of the smack still lingering.

"Don't apologize!" shouted Nobunaga after she smacked Mashu on the head then placed her hands on her hips. "You two made a right call, and now we have some more dependable back up!" Nobunaga gestured to the recently arrived Servants. "But I'm just getting impatient with all the time that has passed."

"True. But there is something that is troubling me, Lord Nobunaga." Rothus said as he gave a glance around.

"What do ya mean, Kuma?" asked Nobunaga with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Look." Rothus pointed to a group of people who stood still and the street was now noticed to be silent.

"They're frozen?" Mashu said with shock since she did not realize that their surroundings suddenly changed.

Archer narrowed his eyes and said, "No… Not frozen. Time around us has stopped momentarily."

"How is this possible?" Saber said as she walked around and waved her hand in front of a person. The others besides Archer did the same with the same results.

Then the Record Tome suddenly made an announcement.

"DUE TO TRANSFERRENCE OF SERVANTS AND CONTACT WITH CHALDEA WHICH EXISTS IN ANOTHER PLANE OF TIME, TIME WITHIN THE SINGULARITY MUST BE TEMPORARILY HALTED AS PROGRAMMED BY THE CREATOR."

"Rothus… Why is your book talking?"

"You can also hear it, Father?" Rothus responded in surprise since he thought he was the only one to hear it make announcements.

"USER PRIVATE BRIEFING IS TO PREVENT ANNOYANCE OF ALLIES, PREVENT ALERTING ENEMIES, AND INFORM USER OF WHAT THIS TOME CAN DO AS PROGRAMMED BY THE CREATOR."

"Creator? Could it mean Zelretch?" wondered Archer.

"The Wizard Marshal did seem to know a lot about this tome." Mashu pointed out.

"MESSAGE FROM CREATOR." The Record Tome announced as a page flew out of it.

" _It seems I forgot to inform you that the Record Tome is capable of stopping time temporarily as long as Red or Eggplant's shield is connected to a leyline. Very useful since you don't have to bother anyone in a Singularity and get Servants here without needing an explanation. No need to make this explanation complicated as the Singularity isn't entirely connected to the timeline, so there won't be repercussions. Believe me, I already took that into account with the temporary stasis. And no abusing it for combat, Red. You'll cause damage to the actual timeline if you do. By the time you read this, the stasis bubble will not be able to hold. So you guys better cut the call before time starts back up. Time communication feedback is quite painful and messy._ "

"Of course he has to mention that at the last minute…" Archer said as he facepalmed.

"Same old Zelretch." Yule muttered over the feed with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"Eggplant? Who is given that designation?" asked Rothus with a questioning look.

"MESSAGE FROM CREATOR."

*SMACK*

Then another message page popped up from the tome and smacked right into the redhead's face. He peeled it off to reveal the short message.

" _Obviously Kyrielite, you redheaded numbskull! Now cut off the call before I do it for you!_ "

"Sir, it appears we will have to end this call for now." Rothus said while turning to the group on the screen.

"Very well. Contact us if you need anything, all right Rothus?" Olga Marie said to Rothus with a professional tone.

"Of course, Sir." Rothus responded with a nod. "May you all fare well with repairing the Rayshift."

"Of course. Good luck to you all in stopping the bomb."

When the communication closed, Mashu's shield stopped glowing and soon time resumed for the residents of the city. A couple of the residents stared at Archer and Saber before just walking along.

"…Everything's moving again. The Second Magic is that powerful?" asked Saber with an incredulous tone as she looked around. Even during her time alive, the power of stopping time was a myth among mages. Meanwhile, Rothus helped Mashu pick up her shield which she then dismissed into ethereal form.

"That is merely a fragment of it. If he wanted to, the old man would have eradicated this Singularity with ease. But in his opinion that would be boring, and the last thing we want is a bored Second Magician." Archer stated with an annoyed tone.

"True, Father." Rothus said with closed eyes before he opened them to look at Nobunaga. "Our business is done, milord. Can you guide us to your base of operations?"

"Sure! Now follow me and make sure to keep any valuables hidden away! A couple of little hoodlums have been snatching stuff from the Kamen Riders in my place. One of them even returned in just his underclothes." Nobunaga laughed at the memory of Yusuke coming back in rags.

Everyone looked either shocked or not surprised at the mention.

"Do pickpockets normally steal clothes, Father?" asked Rothus who was confused at the statement. He recalled meeting such folk who threatened him with guns and knives though he simply confiscated said weapons and broke their fingers.

"Not that I recall, kid." Archer replied with a shrug before adding what came to his mind on such a subject. "Normally swindlers do that."

"Is a hero of the Modern age really that gullible?" wondered Mashu as she picked up her shield before dematerializing it.

"Dunno, but I had to teach those little rascals a lesson on stealing from their elders!" boasted the former warlord.

"That's good, milord." Rothus praised as they walked through the streets.

"Then I kicked Yusuke's butt for letting his stuff get taken by ten-year-olds!" Nobunaga stated with an annoyed look in her eyes.

"That appears to be within reason." Rothus responded much to the surprise of the other two females.

"W-Why is that acceptable?" asked Mashu with a nervous tone.

"The idiot let his stuff get taken just for being too generous. A warrior needs to be more intuitive than that!" announced Nobunaga.

"And if the subordinate is caught in such a manner, it would reflect poorly on the group he is part of." Rothus supported.

"Exactly! You would think that a veteran who has fought monsters who could crush human skulls with just their fingers would be able to handle a couple of bratty bandits." Nobunaga stated with an annoyed voice as she walked forward. "Don't worry, he's forgiven when he saved those brats from a Kaijin."

"I see…"

"Nobunaga-san!" shouted a familiar male voice which the group took notice and saw Yusuke approached them.

"Oh speak of the Rider! Hey Yusuke! Any news about our dead guest?"

The young man gave the woman an incredulous look before sighing, "*Sigh* First of all, Kazuraba-san isn't dead, Nobunaga-san. And second, Kino-san sent me to check on you when a large flash of light took place where you were at."

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. We just got some new recruits!" Nobunaga said as she pointed her thumbs towards Archer and Saber.

"Oh! That's good news! Are they with you two?" Yusuke asked the Master and Demi-Servant pair.

"Yes. These two are the first Servants that sempai summoned. Archer and Saber." Mashu introduced.

"Good to know." The man said with a smile. "I'm Godai Yusuke, I'm sort of Nobunaga-san's assistant in regards to handling our group's activities."

Suddenly a foot kicked the male's buttocks.

"Wah!" shouted Yusuke as he fell over and landed on his face. Then he turned over to face Nobunaga with an incredulous face. "What was that for, Nobunaga-san?!"

Nobunaga lowered her foot before crossing her arms. "Quit the humility act, Yusuke. If you weren't here then we would have more trouble on our hands."

"Even so, I'm not that special."

"Oh really? You claim to be a man who has mastered 2000 skills and have the gall to claim to be nothing special. If I didn't know you now, I would have you shot for such a claim!" shouted Nobunaga who looked a bit angry at his humility.

"Well, um…"

Then Nobunaga looked a bit angrier as she summoned a rifle into existence and aimed it at Yusuke's head.

*Click*

"Well?! Hah? At least have a pair and retort!" shouted the former warlord.

"Lord Nobunaga, now may not be the best time to be scolding Mister Godai." Rothus said with raised hand. "An execution of him may not reflect very well with the Kamen Riders here."

The former lord turned back to glare a bit at the redhead before sighing. "Don't worry, I was only kidding anyway." Then she dismissed her weapon and placed her hands on the back of her head before walking away. "Come on, our base is just around the corner."

"Definitely the demon lord she claims to be…" muttered Mashu with a sweat drop.

Rothus looked a bit worried about the departing Demon Archer. "Is that really the case?"

"Huh? What do you mean, sempai?"

"Lord Nobunaga only acted in the manner of a strict military commander to a warrior who has lost a bit of his wit." Rothus said while cupping his chin. "Or at least that is what I see…"

"You're not wrong… Nobunaga-san cares about her allies but she also hates the sign of humility from the strong. I guess she expects a little sort of pride out of people like me." Yusuke said while scratching his head.

"So who are you exactly?" asked Rothus with a questioning look to the young man. "Because you haven't exactly given us a good first impression as a competent individual, Mister Godai."

Then Yusuke felt a block known as "Incompetent" hit him on the head. "Gh! Well…"

"You also don't appear to be that strong."

Then the block known as "Weak looking" slammed into the man.

"There is also the fact that I have heard that you allowed yourself to be mugged. And from Lord Nobunaga's tone, it appears to be a common occurrence." Rothus pointed out.

Then the block labelled "Robbed more than once" slammed hard onto the young man.

"And-"

"Sempai, I think you made your point about Godai-san! So no need to kick him while he is down." Mashu insisted to spare the young man's dignity.

"Good point, Mashu." Rothus said as he stopped pointing things out before blinking at Mashu's phrase, "Wait, I wasn't going to kick him unless he attacked me out of anger." The redhead responded in confusion.

"*Sigh* We'll explain when we get to the place, so come on." Archer said as he dragged the redhead by his collar and past the now downed Yusuke.

"Ah, Father!" grunted Rothus as he was dragged by the taller man with Mashu following shortly behind.

Then Saber approached the male as he got up from the verbal beating. "If it is any consolidation, I apologize for our Master's behavior."

"Ugh… It's fine." Yusuke responded as he gave a look at the departing redhead who was allowed to walk on his own feet. "Is he always this blunt?"

"To be honest, I am not entirely sure. I was just summoned by him a day ago." Saber responded with an honest tone. She made a stoic expression but felt as though her new Master was a bit too blunt with his words. Would that had been his nature as a weapon or as a person?

"Really? Well I guess we both will learn about Rothus-kun during our time here." Yusuke said with a smile.

Saber took notice at the smile and commented, "I'm surprised you could smile after being put down by Master and Nobunaga."

"Well, they don't exactly mean any harm, so I don't have a reason not to." Yusuke stated as he walked forward. "Besides, greeting people with a smile is better than frowning at them, right?" asked the brunette as he turned to Saber with his smile still there.

Saber could not help but smile as well. "True." Then she walked forward to match his pace. "Will you guide me to your base of operations?"

"Of course." Yusuke responded as he led the way.

* * *

Then the two caught up with the rest of the group and they arrive to a two story wooden building the size of a small mansion.

"Welcome to our main headquarters! It's a bit rundown but we call it home." Nobunaga said with a big smile as she gestured her arms to the "grand scale" of the building.

"It looks…" Mashu attempted to make a comment when a sign creaked a bit too far down.

*CREEAAAAKKKK*

*Bam*

…And fell.

"adequate." Mashu finished her words.

"Thanks, now let's get inside before the little rascals show up." Nobunaga said as she slid the door open.

Suddenly, something came out the door shouting, "Yusuke-nii chan! Okaeri (Welcome Back)!" The "something" was a child who suddenly tackled Yusuke to the ground.

"Oof!" grunted the young man.

Everyone in response were surprised by the sudden appearance of the child or pulling out a weapon, which only Rothus performed the latter.

Archer quickly noticed and put the redhead's gun wielding hand down. "Kid, put away the gun, she's harmless."

"But she could be-"

"Now."

"…" The redhead gave a glance to the girl before listening to the Servant of the Bow. "Very well." Rothus put his weapon away as the event continued.

"Hina-chan… Why are you still up?" asked Yusuke who groaned from the impact before looking at the short, black haired girl wearing an orange kimono sat on his chest.

"Because Hina won't go to sleep unless Nii-chan tells her that story about the kabutomushi yuusha (beetle hero)!" The girl said with a smile and closed eyes.

"Eh? But didn't I already told you that story last night?" asked Yusuke as he got up after the girl got off him.

"But Hina wants to hear it again!" The girl raised her arms.

"*Laugh* Sure." Yusuke laughed with a smile as he patted the girl's head.

"Yay!"

Then the girl grabbed his hand and pulled him into the headquarters.

"Oi! Gaki! You better be sleeping after he tells his story!" Nobunaga shouted. "Honestly, that girl is trouble sometimes."

"Excuse me, Nobunaga-san. But that girl… who is she?" asked Mashu who did not expect the group to be housing a young girl.

"A kid that the idiot picked up a few weeks ago." Nobunaga said as she walked into the building and pulled off her boots before walking onto the wooden boards.

Everyone soon followed suit with Mashu taking off her shoes, Saber simply dismissed her armored greaves, Archer also dismissed his shoes, and Rothus took off two metal plates that acted as his feet's soles.

"Those are your feet, sempai?" asked Mashu who gave a stare at the unarmored feet that was obviously not modeled after human feet.

"Yes." Rothus replied before lift one foot to inspect if any part of it was warped. "Is there something off about them?"

"Well… no." Mashu said with a shake of her head.

"If you are done asking, then come on!"

"That girl… Is she part of the group of thieves who stole from Godai?" asked Archer as the group walked through the halls.

"Yeah, she took a shine to him after he saved her from a monster." Nobunaga recalled as she directed them to a certain room.

"Monster? Did it come out of a strange zipper portal such as the ones we encountered earlier?" asked Rothus.

"Yeah, same monsters that have been going on a rampage throughout the region. There were so many that everyone is on their toes. Kyoto is safe due to the Kamen Riders we have stationed here as well as the monsters don't seem to approach here that often."

"How many are here?" asked Saber who was curious about these warriors of the present era.

"Hm… We have 6 Kamen Riders."

"Six? That appears to be double of what we had back at Fuyuki, Mashu." Rothus pointed with at the information.

"Yes. With these numbers, they should be a big help."

"Fuyuki? Where's that?" asked Nobunaga with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a city in Japan, Lord Nobunaga." Rothus answered.

"And it is the site of the first and only Grail war of our world." Mashu said.

"I see… Well, I guess your world is different from mines, there is no such thing as a city named Fuyuki there." Nobunaga said as she walked forward with the Master and Demi-Servant behind her.

Archer and Saber took notice of the mention of Fuyuki and the blue garbed Servant commented on what the redhead said. "Fuyuki… To think our Master and Mashu ended up in that city…"

"True, no wonder he mentioned that he encountered an evil version of myself and you."

Saber took notice at his words and questioned him. "What do you-"

"All right everyone! We're here!" announced Nobunaga as she opened the doors to reveal a room with several small table stands and several people sitting on cushions near them though the lights were a bit dim to show their faces.

"Welcome back, Nobunaga-san." A young man greeted as he so the closest to the door. "So these are the new people that Kujo-san was talking about?"

"Correct! Now then… Let's get this feast on a roll!" Nobunaga announced with a proud voice as she raised her arms and several lanterns lit to reveal the group before them and they sat near small tables which had a pair of chopsticks and an oddly shaped spoon. "Mashu-chan, Archer, Saber, Rothus, let me introduce you all to my Holy Grail Bomb Disposal Council!"

"Hmph, so we have received help from another group you managed to recruit, Oda?" asked a young man wearing a red coat as he sat cross-legged on a cushion with a young woman sitting next to him in the formal position.

"Yep, now introduce yourselves like we practiced, everyone!"

"Kumon Kaito, Kamen Rider Baron." The young man with the red coat said with crossed arms.

"Minato Yoko, Kamen Rider Marika." The young woman sitting next to him said with a short bow and a professional smile. She was a brunette with a short bob cut while wearing a modern day business suit.

"In case you have forgotten me, the name's Kujo Kiriya, Kamen Rider Lazer." Said the man with sunglasses wearing a Hawaiian-styled shirt and a red jacket on his shoulders with a friendly smile on his face. "So we got two more visitors than just you two?"

"You all already know me, but I shall say it again… Kino Kaoru, Kamen Rider Another Agito." The man with the leather jacket stated with a professional tone.

"Fukami Makoto, Kamen Rider Specter." The young man wearing the black and blue leather jacket said with a nod. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Rothus, I was given the title of Record, the Will of History." Rothus said with a short bow.

"My name is Mashu Kyrielite. Servant Shielder." Mashu introduced herself with a short bow. "I'm honestly surprised at the gathering of Kamen Riders we have here. How-"

"If you're wondering, we all were dragged into this time." Kaito interrupted her with a blunt answer.

"Dragged into?"

"A lot of stuff happened but didn't happen. Who knew that black holes in virtual worlds could lead us here into the past? Though the details are still a bit fuzzy..." Kiriya said with a shrug. "I mean I remember that Emu was there… but… not there?"

"We can discuss how we all arrived here later." Kaito stated with crossed arms. "So who are you two?"

"You may call me Archer for now." Archer stated with crossed arms.

"And you may call me Saber. I am honored to meet all of you."

"Huh. She kind of looks like Souji, Kino-san." Kiriya said to the older man with a curious look.

"Could be an ancestor of hers…"

"Enough of that, you all may sit over there." Nobunaga gestured to the empty seats which there were four cushions and small tables.

Then Rothus and Mashu sat down on the cushions in the middle which the redhead sat on the left side while the light purple haired girl sat on the right side.

Mashu noticed that Rothus was sitting with his legs crossed but not in the right way she usually saw with people sitting.

"Sempai, you're sitting wrong."

"Huh? I am?" asked the redhead as he gave a glance as how he was sitting.

"Yes. You should sit like this." Mashu showed how to sit in the correct position by crossing her leg and folding both feet on top the knees.

"I see. So… like this?" Rothus tried to mimic Mashu's movements but met with a bit of difficulty due to his mechanical legs.

"Kid, just stack your legs like this for now." Archer said as he held the cyborg's legs and stacked them to be in a similar position to Mashu's. Then the tanned, white haired Servant sat to the redhead's left.

"Thank you, Father." Rothus thanked the man.

"Your welcome. Just remember to sit like that from now on." Archer advised.

"All right."

"So who's cooking Kino?" asked Nobunaga with crossed arms.

"Our resident Rider and Servant couple." The older doctor stated with a calm tone.

"Ah, that's good to know. Those lovebirds may not be able to say their feelings but they do make a darn good meal." Nobunaga said with a nod.

"All right! Dinner's ready!" announced Souji as she brought in dishes with Ryotarou.

Following the young man was Momotaros, a light blue Imajin with orange eyes whose form was styled after a turtle, a black and yellow Imajin with a yellow slit in his head and fur on his collar whose form was styled after a bear, and a purple Imajin with red eyes whose form was styled after a dragon with headphones.

Each of them quickly placed the dishes for the members of the council though the blue one preferred to place the dishes for the female members akin to a gentlemen.

"Here, Minato-san."

"Arigatou, Urataros-san."

"My pleasure, milady." The blue Imajin said with a short bow with his arm making a gesture of politeness. Then he turn to the sight of Saber and Mashu. "Oh? It appears two more beauties have joined our council."

"Um, pardon?" asked Mashu with a confused tone.

"My apologies…" The Imajin apologized before introducing himself, "My name is Urataros. I fancy myself as the gentleman out of my brothers."

"Well, Mr. 'Gentleman'… Will you kindly… pass out the other goddamn dishes?!" shouted Momotaros who was not having to deal with the blue Imajin's flirting.

"Very well, I bring your dishes you four. You all at least should receive five star service for coming to our aid." The blue Imajin stated with a bow.

"Oi! Kuma! Don't sleep on the job!" shouted Momotaros who hit the yellow Imajin who was sleeping while standing and holding the dishes.

*SMACK*

"AH! Right!" shouted the yellow Imajin as he returned to what he was doing earlier.

"They seem to be a lively group." Archer commented.

"Indeed Father, but they don't appear to be that worried about the danger of the Holy Grail Bomb going off at any moment." Rothus pointed out at the odd behavior of the group.

"Indeed. But maybe their actions are to be a sense of peace despite the danger. A way of forgetting the danger but not losing sight." Archer stated.

"Really? That's impressive." Rothus commented with an impressed look.

"Or they could also be a group of buffoons who have nothing better to do." Archer then stated their behavior with a sarcastic tone.

"Ha Ha Ha! Indeed Archer, they are a group of fools, but they have their good points. An unbreakable bond of trust between them despite their interactions." Nobunaga said.

"Hmph, speaking from experience, Lord Nobunaga?" asked the Servant of the Bow who smiled a bit at her words.

"Yep. I trusted my retainers and men to let me lead them to victory or death."

"What about the one responsible for your death? What would you do if you meet ever him again?" asked Saber who looked a bit concerned about how flippant the form lord was behaving.

"Him? Well… I would probably start smashing his face in with my fist." Nobunaga thought aloud.

"Definitely the response of the demon king…" commented Mashu with an unsurprised tone in her voice.

"Demon king?" repeated Rothus who looked a bit confused at Mashu's words. "Now that I think about it… Why do you call Lord Nobunaga by that title, Mashu?"

"She's referring to my more ruthless achievements, Kuma." Nobunaga answered for the light purple haired girl.

"Me?" asked the yellow Imajin.

"Not you, Goldie. I mean this kid who prefers he be a bear." Nobunaga pointed to the redhead.

"A bear?" The yellow Imajin approached Rothus gave him a look over. "Hm… I do see the spirit of a bear in him."

"Well, if Goldie says so, then you are officially a bear, Kuma!" announced Nobunaga with an authoritative tone.

"Thank you, sir. And about the topic about your title?" asked the redhead who still wanted an answer to his question.

"Ah yes! Well, I recall I received my title after executing a bunch of riotous villagers for not complying with my rule. Then those monks who tried to sway me on the path of peace or some sort of virtue nonsense they usually spat about. Then I went on to execute any or all who dare face me in my conquest. In essence, I was no different from a demon in the eyes of my enemies." Nobunaga stated without hesitation and her tone had some pride in her seemingly demonic actions.

"I see… A demon is defined as something inhuman or lacking human values… So their title fitted you, Lord Nobunaga." Rothus stated.

"Yep! Though it could also be my rebellious attitude against the gods. I performed atsumoris in Buddha temples on my free time during my life." Nobunaga said with an arrogant smile.

"Wait. You mean to tell us that your disrespect of the gods is what got you your title?" asked Saber with a surprised tone.

"Dunno. But we shouldn't sweat about small details like that."

"Indeed, what has happened in the past can't be fully explained. So there's no need to worry about it now. Here are your dishes, you four." Urataros placed the dishes onto the small tables in front of the Chaldea group.

"Thank you, Mister Urataros." Rothus said.

"Your welcome, Kuma-kun." Urataros said with a polite tone before pulling out a pair of dishes and placed them onto Mashu and Saber's tables. "And a little something extra for our two fine flowers."

"You must be the womanizer that Momotaros talked about." Mashu stated bluntly.

"How blunt. However, I wouldn't call myself such a term. I prefer… Love counselor." Urataros said with a calm tone with a bit a flourish in his arm movements.

"Love counselor my ass!" shouted Momotaros before a foot slammed into Urataros's back.

*BOOT*

Urataros quickly rolled over and landed on his rear before holding his hands out. "Gah! Sempai! No need to be rough! I am simply trying to explain that I'm not a womanizer!"

"Oh yeah, if you're not a womanizer, then I'm not a badass warrior!" shouted red Imajin.

"Well, technically…"

"Don't finish that thought!" shouted Momotaros as he shoved his face in front of Urataros's. "I'm just trying to prove my point that YOU are a flirty womanizer! You would go around fishing for woman in Ryotarou's body before I have to kick you out of him!"

Then the blue Imajin stood up and faced his brother/sempai and retorted, "Well at least I'm civilized when I'm in his body, you are an uneducated brute who would pick fights with gang members and get Ryotarou into trouble."

"Hey! I've changed that at least! I only go after one gang a week when I'm in Ryotarou's body!" shouted Momotaros with an indignant tone.

"You're not making your position any better, sempai." Urataros responded with a shake of his head as their usual routine argument took place.

"Hmph! That Kisaragi kid would get my point. It's a man thing after all!" huffed Momotaros as he crossed his arms and looked away from the blue Imajin.

"To be an uncivilized brute?" described Urataros though he did not mind the younger delinquent Kamen Rider, he did seem to be short on the intelligent side of things.

"Besides that! It's to have the guts to do the right thing! And look badass doing it!"

"Well, you do have a good point there, sempai."

"Um…" Then the two turned to the redhead who had his hand raised. "So is Mister Urataros a womanizer or not?"

"Yes." The red Imajin said.

"No." The blue Imajin said.

Then the two Imajins turned to each other with the obvious signs of another argument about to take place.

"Okay, you two. Stop fighting before I shoot both of you to death for ruining our meal!" announced Nobunaga as she summoned a rifle in each hand with a smile eager to shoot them.

"…Fine." The two said before they separated and walked away from each other.

"Wait, but-"

"Best to drop it, sempai. Infighting spoils a good meal." Mashu advised to prevent a fight from taking place.

"All right." Rothus said.

"Sorry about them, they are good people but they do have a habit of arguing." Ryotarou apologized to the group.

"It is no bother, Mister Nogami. And good evening." Rothus greeted the young man.

"Good evening, to you, Rothus-kun. So who are the-" Ryotarou stopped and stared at Saber who also stared at her in surprise. "Wow, you weren't kidding about your Saber having a similar face."

"Huh? What do you-"

"Ryo-kun! Where should I put this food?" asked Souji who carried a tray of foor.

"Oh! Over there, Souji-san! And come over here! There is someone Rothus-kun would like you to meet!" Ryotarou called to his companion.

"I do?" asked the redhead with a confused look.

"Okay! Phew. So who are you-" Souji turned around to face Saber.

The two females stared at each other in surprise with Archer also sharing a look of surprise at their similar faces.

"Wow! Rothus-kun and Mashu-chan weren't kidding! You really do look like me!" Souji said with a smile as she approached Saber.

"Huh? You… appear to look like me, yet not. Who are you?" asked Saber with a cautious tone at facing the same girl who shared similar facial features.

"I am Sakura Saber, a native of Japan but I come from a time after the Sengoku era." Souji introduced herself.

"I see…"

"Funny enough, my birth takes place years after the Europeans visited Nippon. So I could be a distant descendant of yours." Souji pointed out with a playful smirk.

"That's quite the claim, Sakura Saber." Saber said with straight face.

"*Giggle* Yeah, it is." Souji said while scratching the back of her head. "Even if I am related or not, I do look forward to crossing blades with you after all of this!"

"Really? Hm…" The blond gave the idea of a duel some thought before smiling. "Very well. I also hope cross blades after this conflict, Sakura Saber."

"Of course, Kishi (騎士) Saber."

"Kishi? What does that mean, Father?" wondered Rothus who turned to the man for answers.

"Kishi (騎士) normally in Japanese means Knight, Rothus." Archer stated.

"Oh. Now it makes sense." Rothus said with a nod.

"Sempai, aren't you speaking in Japanese right now?" asked Mashu.

"In your ears, I am. But that is due to my altered brain translating different languages and I automatically speak in their tongue." Rothus said as he pointed at the headphone that replaced his left ear.

"Makes things easier since I don't have to translate for him." Archer added with a huff. "And we have an easier time communicating."

"Ah right. One of the essential skills of a Servant is the ability to understand and speak foreign languages fluently." Saber stated upon remembering the language barrier between Servant and Master was overcome due to the Grail.

"Yep!"

"Souji-san! Come on! We still need to take our seats!"

"Gotcha Ryo-kun!" responded Souji as she quickly went to Ryotarou's side as the Imajin also took their seats.

"Itadakimasu!" announced everyone before they dug into their meals.

The redhead looked around before turning to Archer who simply gave a gesture to copying their earlier action. Rothus nodded and also put his hands together and said, "Itadakimasu."

Then everyone quickly got to eating their food by picking up their chopsticks, but Rothus stared at the implements with a questioning look.

"What's the matter, sempai?" asked Mashu.

"I don't see a fork, Mashu." The redhead responded with a clueless look, which the Chaldea group realized he was used to using forks and spoons not chopsticks.

"Fork? Sorry kid, but we Japanese use these chopsticks to eat." Kiriya said as he held his pair to let the redhead see them.

"Chopsticks?" repeated Rothus before he look down at his mini table and noticed the chopsticks which the end that was used to pick up food was held up by a block of pottery. He picked up the sticks with a raised eyebrow as to how he could use them to eat.

"Sempai." Mashu called out.

The redhead turned to the light purple haired girl who showed how to hold the chopsticks.

"Look, you just have to hold the first chopstick in the innermost of your thumb and…" Mashu explained as she demonstrated how to hold chopsticks to the redhead.

"Seems like I don't need to have to guide you on every step." Archer said as he ate.

"So like this?" asked Rothus as he held the chopsticks in an awkward position in his left hand.

"Well close, but not really. Here, let me help." Mashu said as she placed her chopsticks down. She held his hand and Rothus let her move his fingers to let him hold his chopsticks properly. "There. Try moving them now."

Rothus attempted to move them and he made the two ends touch. "Oh, so that's how it works… The hand acts as the mechanism similar to a spring with a pincer to move the sticks…"

"Oi Kuma, you should get to eating your food before it gets cold." Nobunaga advised.

"Oh, of course, Lord Nobunaga." Rothus responded before he went to grab the first thing he saw on his plate to eat.

* * *

Soon everyone was done with their food and looked satisfied from the meal. Then the members of the group who were familiar with Japanese customs put their hands together after finishing their meals and said, "Thank you for the meal."

"An excellent meal as always, Souji-san, Nogami-san." Yoko praised the two.

"Eh heh heh, arigato (thank you) Minato-san." Ryotarou responded with a humble tone.

"Though you undercooked that salmon…" Kaito commented with a blunt tone.

"Kaito!" Yoko gave the young man a disapproving look.

"Hmph."

"Aw let him be grumpy, Minato-san. He's free to let out his opinion."

"Even so, it is rude to say such a thing when they worked hard to cook all of this for us."

"It's fine. I'm used to Kaito-san, I just need to get better." Ryotarou said with a reassuring smile.

Then the man with Hawaiian shirt turned to Rothus. "So what's the story about your robot arm and legs, kid?" asked Kiriya who looked a bit curious at the redhead's artificial limbs.

Rothus turned to the man as he drank his tea. "My augments? They are standard issue with the line of weaponized soldiers that I am a part of."

"Weaponized? As in you're an artificial human augmented with machinery?" Yoko asked.

"Yes."

"Well this is a surprise, one of our reinforcements is a weaponized soldier. I thought your kind was gone after some freak storms destroyed the labs that made you all."

"Freak storms?" asked Rothus with a confused tone.

"Hai, some strange weather occurrences covered the secret factories and destroyed them all. Not a single trace of the weaponized soldiers are left besides the struggling few alive. Then they were all killed due to some sort of strange mentions of a man in a red… coat…" Yoko realized upon looking at Archer.

Archer and Rothus looked at each other before looking back at Yoko and the older male said, "…To be honest, several things and people have tried to kill me and the kid in the past, so we may had run into a couple of Weaponized."

"I do recall at least 30 identified Weaponized have attempted to kill Father and I." Rothus stated while trying to remember which Weaponized tried to kill them.

"So it was you two… It might be interesting to learn your stories but for now you all turn in for the night." Yoko said. "You two especially, we heard from Kiriya that you both were with Nogami-kun in a small skirmish with a couple of Inves."

"Wait, what about you all?" asked Mashu.

"We take turns keeping watch. This is the Sengoku era, after all. Anyone will try to kill anyone who is not on their side, especially strangers like us." Ryotaro stated which the others nodded in agreement.

"And we already had our share of enemies attacking this place." Kino stated.

"We'll join in taking watch. We Servants do not need as much sleep." Saber said.

"Very well. More eyes, the better." Souji said with a smile at the offered assistance.

"…I'll take the entrance as usual." Kaito said crossed arms before leaving the room.

"I'll go with him. Archer, Saber, you two take the back for me, all right?" asked Yoko before she quickly left.

"Hey wait!" shouted Saber but Yoko was already far away before he could argue with her.

"…Seems as though our hosts already saddled us with a job, Saber." Archer said with a mirthless tone.

"Aw don't worry, you two! The worst that comes out at back is just a couple of wolves!" Nobunaga reassured the two with a wide smile.

"Nobunaga's right, the west side usually has bandits while the east has a couple of ronin. Speaking of which, I'll take the east side tonight." Makoto stated as he stood up and walked out of the room.

"I'm coming with you, might as well see if the Sengoku punks give as much of a good fight as bad in our time." Momotaros said before he quickly followed the young man with the blue and black leather jacket.

"Seems like I'll be taking the west side. Kiriya, Urataros, Ryutaros. You three keep an eye on the first floor as usual. Yusuke. You keep an eye on the second floor. Ryotarou and Souji. After Ryotarou is done guiding Rothus and Mashu, you two keep a lookout at the entrance. Kintaros, with me." Kino stated as he got up and walked out of the room.

"Hm! Let us make our enemies cry, sempai!" boasted Kintaros as he followed the veteran while shouldering a large axe.

"Well, everyone's already doing their jobs so no use complaining about." Kiriya said with a shrug to the two Servants.

Archer and Saber gave a glance to each other before accepting that it's best not to argue about their position. "Fine. Rothus, Mashu, you two better get some rest. Tomorrow will be hectic since we will be searching for a Holy Grail bomb." Archer addressed the two younger Chaldea members.

"Of course Father." Rothus responded with a nod before giving a glance at the case the Servant of the Bow still had custody of. "Oh, can I have my case?" asked the redhead looked a bit eager about the deployment case.

Archer narrowed his eyes in suspicion before sighing and deciding it was better to give the redhead the case before he continued to bother him. "…Very well. But don't go messing around with it. Mashu, make sure he gets sleep."

"Understood, Archer." Mashu said with a nod.

"Let me guide you two to your room." Ryotarou said as he stood up and walked out of the room with the redhead who trying to look for a way to open the case while Mashu guided him so he did bump into the walls.

"*Sigh* Honestly, even though he was a soldier, he still acts like a kid." The tanned man said with a shake of his head.

"What do you mean, Archer?"

Archer turned to Saber with a small incredulous expression, "You're kidding, right? It's obvious that he's no different from a kid who just got a new toy. Though the toy is at least less deadly than he usually picks up…"

"Really?" wondered Saber. "I don't see how a container is supposed to be akin to a toy meant to entertain, Archer."

"You underestimate childish curiosity, Saber. To someone like him, that deployment container is like a toy or present to him."

"Though the problem is that he does not know the method to opening the box." Saber said.

"He'll figure it out or use it as a weapon… The latter most likely…" Archer sarcastically agreed. "Oh well, it's Mashu's job to make sure he doesn't stay up all night trying to figure the box out."

"You seem to enjoy handing responsibility over to Mashu."

"That's because I trust her enough to look after the kid." Archer waved his hand before he stood. "But enough talk, let's get to that guard duty, Saber."

"Very well."

* * *

In the guest room, Mashu was taking out futons with Ryotarou while Rothus was looking at the case by turning the box around to find some clue of an opening.

"Sempai, you can try figuring out how to open that case tomorrow." Mashu said as she placed the futon down while Rothus was trying to figure out how to open the supply case by trying to pry it open.

*BZZT*

"AH!" Rothus grunted at the case electrocuting him.

"Daijobu desuka (Are you all right)?" asked Ryotarou who quickly went to the redhead getting shocked.

"I'm fine, Mister Nogami. An anti-theft system… That's good considering the number of thieves here." Rothus said as he continued to look around the case.

"You should rest for now, Rothus-kun. That case isn't going anywhere." Ryotarou advised as he stood up. "All right, I'll be heading out. Give a call to the others if either of you two need anything." Then the veteran Rider left the room to join up with Souji to keep an eye out.

"He's right, sempai. It's time to retire." Mashu said as she sat in the futon.

"I know I should rest, Mashu. But I want to understand how to open this case before we get attacked tomorrow or tonight." Rothus said as he turned to his first Servant.

"Well, you won't get any sleep if you keep messing around with the supply case. I'm sure Da Vinci-chan left a manual somewhere." Mashu assured.

"Left a manual..." Rothus stared at the case before turning to his robotic arm which the inner frame glowed a bit in proximity to the case. "Maybe she already did give me some form to access it." Then he placed his mechanical hand on the case. "Command: Interface."

 **=NEW DEVICE AND PROGRAM DETECTED_=**

 **=BEGIN INSTALLATION?_=**

"Huh. Found it, Mashu."

"Really? How?"

"Miss Da Vinci did state that she tuned this supply case for my use. She must have programmed it to interface with my augments." Rothus said as he decided whether to install now or later. "Should I install the new program now or later?"

"Sounds like Da Vinci-chan being prepared for everything… Anyways sempai, it's time to get some sleep."

"Okay. Let me at least confirm the installation before we sleep."

 **=ESTIMATED COMPLETED TIME: 10 HOURS=**

Then Rothus's arm started to glow as the programs start to download from the case into his augments. Then he laid down into the futon, ready to rest for the night.

"Sempai… Good night…" Mashu said before closing her eyes.

"…Good night, Mashu." Rothus said as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Unknown to the two, they were being watched by a floating purple Eyecon from outside the room.

"So what is your assessment on those two, Nobu-Ore?" asked Nobunaga as she approached the Nobunaga Eyecon.

" _Hm… While they have their hearts in the right place, Kuma-kun and the Eggplant-onna will face a lot of obstacles here. And the shounen's armor… it looks almost incomplete._ " The Nobunaga Eyecon stated to the young woman.

"You got that right… That armor is almost similar to him… A clean slate. So inexperienced in so many ways, unknowing about the world. No different from a child."

" _Indeed. Though he is a child lacking in selfish desires or ambitions. Quite strange considering his murderous tendencies. Do you recall how he kept his hand on his gun while we introduced ourselves?_ " asked the Eyecon who remembered how cautious the redhead acted.

"Yep. Though, he does seem to lack the intent."

" _Intent? Ah, you mean killing intent. That is true, similar to Shinobis, he was born into the role of a soldier so killing has become second nature to him._ "

"True. He is still capable of killing someone, but… he seems almost tired when he kills."

" _One born into a purpose has the choice not to enjoy said purpose. A truly human action if he shows that sign of defiance._ " Nobunaga (Eyecon) noted.

"It appears so, but he still has to fight if it means to survive. Right?"

" _Indeed._ " The Eyecon turned back to the pair who were now sleeping before seeing the room light up with flames. " _Huh?!_ "

"What's wrong?!" Nobunaga asked.

" _Fire!_ "

"What?!" The warlord quickly moved and pulled open the door to the sight of the room being normal with the Master and Demi-Servant still sleeping. "Nothing. Did you see something, Nobu-Ore?"

" _I thought I saw flames engulf their room… Must have been my memories of Honnouji affecting me… I'll go get some rest…_ "

"…I hope you were just seeing things." Nobunaga said with worry about her counterpart of this world. A memory of one's time of death was no laughing matter, especially how close they were to Honnouji. The female warlord decided it was best to leave as she closed the door to the pair's room.

Unknown to Nobunaga, flames started to form into a figure that soon kneeled at the side of Rothus.

" _This child…_ " A hand placed onto the sleeping redhead's chest as the flames appeared to be absorbed into him." _He is the perfect vessel for vengeance…_ " muttered the figure covered in flames before it disappeared into a large fireball and the crimson fireball entered into Rothus's body.

 **=FOUNDATION DETECTED=**

 **=BEGIN INSTALLATION=**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

… **Two Years. …Dang it, I'm an idiot for putting off this Chapter for so long… Then again, I tried to put in a lot of plot points than I could come up with in a single sitting. Sorry for the wait everyone, and I'm sorry that this chapter looks a bit boring. I'll try to get the next few chapters rolling. And I'll look over this chapter a couple of times.**

 **Update 2/3/2019: I decided to clean up the dialogue, so don't be surprised if there are changes to scenes the next time you read this chapter.**


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